
Class 4_ 1^1 

Book_„__^Vl/li-Vl-'^ 
Copyright N° . 



WOLCOTT, N. Y. 



■•GRIPS" 
HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. N. Y. 

E. L. WELCH. 10° CORNING AVENUE 
SYRACUSE. N. Y. 




'CAPTAINS" OF WOLCOTT IN ITS EARLY DAYS. 



JEDEDIAH WILDER. 

Property Owner and Invest 

ISAAC LEAVENWORTH, 

Large Capitalist and Manufacturer. 



Copyrighted, June, 1905. 
'Grip," 109 Corning Ave., Syracuse, N. Y. (ILLUSTRATED. 



"GRIP'S" 
Historical Souvenir of Wolcott, N.Y. 



ieH»RY 



JUMUrtLSS 



AUG 12 1905 

Cop>ni!ni Liiuy 
OAaS O- AXc. Nui 

^7-J 3 7 t^C 






Historical Souvenir Series No. 20 

'W'oLcoTT, N.Y^M Vicinity 



Copyrighted. June, 1905. 
"Grip," 109 Corning Ave.. Syracuse, N. Y. 



ILLUSTRATED 




DESCRIPTION OF WOLCOTT. 

WOLCOTT, a village of 1,500 population oc- 
cupies an eligible location in the centre of 
a large agricultural section, and is the principal 
village in the northern part of Wayne county. 
It has a favorable site on the Lake Ontario 
branch of the R., W. & 0. railroad which is op- 
erated by the New York Central and Hudson 
River Railroad Compay; and is the prospective 
point for the intersection of trolley lines pro- 
jected north from Syracuse on the east and Ro- 
chester on the west. 

Wolcott is the business and shipping centre 
for fifteen to twenty miles radius of the best 
fruit and farming section of the state. 

The industry is largely the handling of fruit - 
apples and berries; canning, evaporating or re- 
ceiving for shipment crops, with an annual val- 
uation of $500,000. 

Another considerable industry is that of pickles 



■ KROM THE FOUK CORNERS. 

and kraut, the production of which aggregates 
in value from $12,000 to $15,000. 

Two hundred and fifty acres are devoted to 
raising vegetables for this factory, and the yield 
usually pays the farmers about $50 an acre. 

One of the largest creameries in Wayne county 
is located at Wolcott in which considerable local 
capital is invested. It pays to the dairymen 
every month $5,000 which is largely distributed 
in the village in trade. At Sodus is located a 
branch of this creamery. About 1,500 pounds 
of butter is made daily at the Wolcott creamery. 

Grains, potatoes and onions are also raised in 
abundance in this section and find a market and 
shipping point at Wolcott. These productions 
and others common to a profitable farming sec- 
tion aggregate in valuation annually about 
$200,000. 

There are two foundries, a flouring mill, a cider 
mill and wood working shops in the village; four 
department stores, four drug stores, four gro- 
ceries, two hardware and plumbing firms, a fur. 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



niture store, two undertakers, three clothiers, 
three milUners, three dressmaking and ladies' 
tailors, a wagon, carriage and musical instru- 
ment business, two harness shops, two meat mar- 
kets, four blacksmith shops, two photograph 
galleries, two barber shops, two lumber yards, 
two coal yards, four hotels. There are five 
physicians, six attornies, two dentists, three 
opticians and two veterinaries 

The Twitchell-Champlin Company operate a 
cannery of fruits and vegetables, employing from 
thirty to sixty hands. 

The J. Weller Company employ from ten to a 
dozen in the manufacture of pickles and kraut. 

G. H. Northup handles dried fruits. 

Olivet Bros. & Cunningham, largely green 
fruits, also manufacture barrels. 

Wm. Davis, green and dried fruits. 

The Mercur Packing Company, dritd fruits. 

J. S. Terrill, green and dried fruits. 



dist. Baptist, Episcopal and Protestant Metho- 
dist. Four of the structures are of stone or 
brick. The church attendance averages 800. 
The valuation of the church property in the vil- 
lage, including endowments, will aggregate 
$150,000. Each society owns its parsonage. 
The Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian socie- 
ties own considerable real estate in the village 
outside of the churches and parsonages. 

A great deal of building is going on this year, 
principally residences for which a new and at- 
tractive street has been opened, called Leaven- 
worth avenue. 

Society in Wolcott comprehends literary soci- 
eties, clubs, insurance and social fraternities. 
The population of Wolcott is largely of that de- 
sirable class of people who are in good circum- 
stances and in business of some sort. There is 
a pride of home and village among the people 
which insures the prosperity and growth of the 




Fhoto. 



IAIN ST.. NORTH SIDE. LOOKING EAST FROM FOUI 



Wolcott, an up-to-date business place, is built 
up largely of brick business blocks and a fine 
class of residences. The streets are largely 
macadamized and heavily shaded by elms and 
maples. The sidewalks are chiefly stone and 
cement. Most of the residences are surrounded 
by well kept lawns and considerable taste is dis- 
played in the adornment of grounds with shrubs 
and flowers. The streets are lighted with arc 
lights and incandescent lights are largely used 
in homes and business places. 

There are two well conducted weekly news- 
papers and two substantial banks. 

The school is a comparatively new building— a 
large and handsome structure, built at a cost of 
.$25,000 or $30,000. 

The fire department consists of three volunteer 
companies, having an engine, hooks and ladders 
and ample supply of hose. 

There are five churches, Presbyterian, Metho- 



community. Many former Wolcott people who 
have become prominent in much larger commu- 
nities still entertain a fondness for their native 
place and in the summer a considerable tide of 
"old home comers" and their friends enliven the 
society of this beautiful and progressive village. 

Wolcott by its location invites home seekers 
and those looking for favorable business sites. 
That it keeps up with modern progress is shown 
by its excellent lighting system, telephone ser- 
vice and the unusually large number of automo- 
biles owned in the place. 

Many of its citizens have summer cottages at 
Port Bay and Lake Bluff on Great Sodus Bay, 
arms of Lake Ontario, only a few miles north of 
the village, where they live during the hot 
months going and coming daily with their auto- 
mobiles, or driving back and forth fine teams, 
Wolcott people generally taking pride in nice 
horses. 



'GRIPS" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



Wolcott; Earliest Business Men and Earliest 

Industries; Large Enterprises Gave Birth to 

the Village:— 

The first settler and land owner in the village 
of Wolcott was Jonathan Melvin, Sr. , who bought 
500 acres largely included in the present corpor- 
ate limits of the village. Melvin, who was a 
revolutionary soldier, came here from Melvin 
Hill in the town of Phelps, Ontario county, in 
1806 and the following year he put up a small 
building for shelter. Melvin. for those days was 
a plunger, and to carry out his projects he bor- 
rowed money from the banks in Utica and 
Geneva. 

In 1809 he built a grist mill and saw mill on 
the Rumsay site both of which he sold to Oba- 
diah Adams in 1812. Melvin donated a site for a 
schoolhouse and for a village park. He sold a 



frame building on the site of the Wolcott House 
where he opened a tavern. In 1812 he bought 
the old schoolhouse which stood across the street 
and moving it over on to his lot connected it with 
his tavern. In this addition he opened a store, 
being the first merchant as well as landlord in 
the village. Trade for a few years prior to that 
time went to Sodus Point where it was expected 
that owing to the excellent harbor the chief 
town in this section would spring up. 

WOLCOTT WAS PUNCHEONVILLE. 

The daring and energy of Melvin, Adams and 
the Church's, who were then settled at Wolcott, 
opened up a trading point at this place which 
soon out-rivalled Sodus Point. Saw mills, grist 
ir\ills, carding mills and asheries erected here 
very quickly made this the centre of trade. Mr. 
Adams erected a kiln for drying corn and grind- 
ing meal which he shipped in large quantities to 
Canada. His large hogsheads filled with meal 




MAIN ST.. SOUTH SIDE. LOOKING EAST FROM FOUR CORNERS. 



Smith. Photo. 

plot of land to Samuel Mellin who put up a full- 
ing, cloth dressing and carding mill and he also 
sold three acres known as the swamp lot to Dr. 
David Arne, which includes what was the site 
of the old Presbyterian church. Melvin built an 
ashery on the north side of Main street and a 
distllery on the west side of the road leading to 
the Beach grist mill. Melvin painted the old 
farm house black, which afterwards gave it the 
name of the "Black House farm." Melvin died 
at Phelps in 1845. 

ADAMS' FIRST TAVERN AND STORE. 

Obadiah Adams, brother-in law to Osgood 
Church, who first surveyed pretty much all of 
the lands in this section, was one of the largest 
operators in lands and promoters of enterprises 
in this locality. He was the colonel in the state 
militia from 1812 to 1824. Coming to Wolcott in 
1810 he first bought 40 acres of land from Jona- 
than Melvin, which lay on the east side of New 
Hartford street. He built a story-and-a-half 



for shipment gave the place the sobriquet, 
"Puncheonville. " He also erected a blast fur- 
nace east of the Beach Mill, but never put it 
into operation as he failed at about that time, 
1824, and moved to Rochester, where he opened 
an hotel and a couple of years later died. 

SLOOP LANDING ON THE LAKE. 

When the stage road between Rochester and 
Oswego was opened his hotel at Wolcott became 
a much famed house for the accommodation of 
travelers passing through by stage. To accom- 
modate his shipments of pearl ashes and corn 
meal, principally, as well as other produce which 
he bought in large quantities, he bought land on 
the east shore of Sodus Bay and erected a wharf 
where he shipped produce and received merchan- 
dise. It lay between Glasgow and Bonnicastle 
and was known as "Sloop Landing." There he 
laid out a village, put up a warehouse and other 
good buildings and launched a sailing vessel. As 
a speculation the enterprise on the lake proved 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



unsuccessful, but for a few years more produce 
was shipped from "Sloop Landing" on the lake 
than at any other point on the south shore be- 
tween Oswego and Niagara. 

LEAVENWORTH INSTITUTE. 

Isaac Leavenworth was another of Wolcott's 
prominent citizens but at a considerable later 
period. He founded the Leavenworth Institute 
which along in the early sixties ranked high as 
an educational institution, and did a great deal 
in other ways to promote the interests of the 
village. In 1849 he was elected to the Legisla- 
ture. 

Samuel Mellen about 1812 erected fulling, cloth 
dressing and carding mills on land which he 
bought from Jonathan Melvin, sr. These he 
sold to Jedediah Wilder, a veteran of the war of 
1812, in 1816, who sold out to Roswell Benedict in 
1826. 



bench, a court of pleas judge. He was the first 
postmaster in the village. 

Elias Y. Munson, who came to Wolcott with 
Obadiah Adams and for a few years was a clerk 
for Reuben Swift & Co., became a commanding 
figure in business at Wolcott a few years later. 
In 1829 he purchased the old Adams tavern which 
in the winter of 1836- '7 burned. Munson rebuilt 
it of brick, the first brick structure in the vil- 
lage, and conducted it as the Northern Exchange 
Hotel. He was a mason by trade and helped lay 
the walls of Auburn State Prison. He died June 
23, 1861. 

Rev. Amos P. Draper, a carpenter by trade, 
came to Wolcott as an ordained preacher in the 
Baptist church. 

DISTILLERY AND TANNERIES. 

Jacob Butterfield, a tanner and shoemaker, 

about 1811, purchased of Osgood Church three 




Loaned by C. W. Smith. 
Showing South Side Ma 



WOLCOTT IN 1855. 



PLANK S MILLS SWEPT AWAY. 

Elisha Plank in 1813 bought 467 acres north of 
the village and erected a saw and grist mill on 
Mill creek, which was carried away by a freshet 
Nov. 1, 1814. He and his son were both carried 
down in the current in trying to save some of the 
property. The father was rescued but the son 
was drowned. The next spring when Plank 
erected a second grist mill his house was burned. 
He died Sept. 25, 18^2. 

BLACK HOUSE FARM. 

Dr. David Arne was one of the most prominent 
men of Wolcott in its earliest period. He pur- 
chased of the Geneva bank the "Black House 
Place," the old Jonathan Melvin home which the 
bank had to take when Melvin failed. For some 
years he was justice of the peace in the village. 
He also went to the assembly and was on the 



acres on which he built a tannery and carried on 
business for many years. 

Wm. M. Nurss and Merritt Candy came in 1823 
and erected a distillery and ashery on the east 
side of the creek. They purchased Elisha Plank's 
grist mill and also established a store. Mr. 
Candy died in 1828 and Mr. Nurss closed out 
their business, being succeeded by Alanson Mel- 
vin, whom his father, Jonathan sr., had left here 
to wind up his affairs. 

Stephen P. and Chester A. Keyes bought of 
E. Y. Munson all of the tract across Main street 
from the Wilder lot to the gulf and moved the 
old barn and sheds over to the tavern stand. 
The Messrs. Keyes occupied the old Munson store. 

Nathan Pierce, son-in-law of Levy Smith, built 
an hotel, which was later known as the White 
hotel, and kept it several years. 

Dr. Tripp purchased from the Geneva bank 
the Melvin mill property and repaired and con- 
ducted it for some time. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



The present Wolcott house, standing on the 
site of Adams' tavern, which, as has been stated, 
was burned and was rebuilt by E. Y. Munson as 
the Northern Exchange, was enlai-ged by Julius 
Whiting in 1880. He was succeeded, Feb. 1, 
1887, by S. A. Williams. 

James V. D. Westfall was the first to open a 
banking business in a small way. 

Roe, Ellis and Pomeroy in 1875 started a pri- 
vate bank. In the spring of 1884 Mr. Pomeroy 
sold his interest to Messrs. Roe and Ellis. 

Towns of Wayne County; when erected: — 

Arcadia, taken from Lyons, Feb. 15, 1825. 

Butler, from Wolcott, Feb. 26, 1826. 

Galen, originally township 27, MiHtary tract, 
receiving its name from having been appropri- 
ated by the Medical department of the army, 
from Junius, Feb. 14, 1812. 

Huron, from Wolcott as Port Bay, Feb. 25, 
1826; its present name was fixed March 17, 1834. 

Lyons, from Sodus, March 1, 1811; named from 



from Charles Williamson, the American agent 
for the Pultney estates. 

Wolcott, from Junius, March 24, 1807; named 
from Gov. Oliver Wolcott of Connecticut. 

Military Tract.— The legislature by the act 
of July 25, 1782, created the Old Military Tract 
as it was called. It contained 1,800,000 acres 
and included the present counties of Onondaga, 
Cortland, Cayuga, Tompkins and Seneca (except 
a strip across the southern end of Cortland coun- 
ty, west from the Tioughnioga river, about a 
mile and a half wide), and all of Wayne county 
east of Great Sodus Bay and Oswego county west 
of the Oswego river. 

In this tract there were 28 townships, called 
"Military towns" to distinguish them from the 
towns afterwards created in erecting the coun- 
ties enclosing them. 

In 1786 the legislature created a military tract, 
768,000 acres in the counties of Clinton, Franklin 








Showing Wolcott Houai 



: had Constructed Balconies : A Second I 



had then been 



supposed topographical resemblance to Lyons, 
France. 

Macedon, from Palmyra, Jan. 29, 1823. 

Marion, from Williamson as Winchester, April 
18, 1825. Its name was changed April 15, 1826. 

Ontario, from Williamson as Freetown, March 
27, 1807. Its name was changed Feb. 12, 1808. 

Palmyra, the original town, was formed in 
Jan., 1789. 

Rose, from Wolcott, Feb. 5, 1826; named from 
Robert S. Rose of Geneva. 

Savannah, from Galen, Nov. 24, 1824; named 
from the savannahs in the south part of the 
town. 

Sodus, the original town, was formed Jan., 
1789; called by the Indians Assorodus, "silvery 
water." 

Walworth, from Ontario, April 20, 1829; named 
from Chancellor Walworth. 

Williamson, from Sodus, Feb. 20, 1802; named 



and Essex which was laid out in twelve towns, 
bringing the total number up to 60. Each was 
laid out as nearly square as practical, averaging 
about 9-;j miles .squai-e and containing each 100 
lots of 600 acres to the lot or a total of 60,000 
acres. 

The towns in the first mihtary tract, compris- 
ing Galen were numbered and given classical 
names all of which have been retained (as far as 
the supply would go) in the re-constituted towns. 
Except where they coincided with county lines, 
none of the original boundaries were preserved, 
each "military" town supplying territory for two 
or three re-organized towns. The only ■milita- 
ry" town overlapping a county line is that (if 
Sterling which contributed territory for Imtli 
Wayne and Cayuga counties. The numbering of 
the towns began with Lysander (in Onondaga 
county) near the northeast corner of that tract 
(the second "mihtary" town south of Lake On- 



■GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OP WOLCOTT. 



tario) and was carried south going from east to 
west. 

The towns, placed in the order in which they 
were numbered, together with the counties 
which have since absorbed them, are as follows: 
No. 1, Lysander, Onondaga; 2. Hannibal, Oswe- 
go; 3, Cato, Cayuga; 4, Brutus. Cayuga; 5, 
Camillus, Onondaga; 6, Cicero, Onondaga; 7, 
Manlius, Onondaga; 8, Aurelius, Cayuga; 9, 
Marcellus, Onondaga; 10, Pompey, Onondaga; 
11, Romulus. Seneca; 12. Scipio, Cayuga; 13. 
Sempronious, Cayuga; 14, Tull , Onondaga: 1.5, 
Fabius, Onondaga: 16, Ovid, Seneca: 17, Milton, 
Cayuga; 18, Locke, Cayuga; 19, Homer, Cort- 
land: 20, Solon, Cortland; 21, Hector, Schuyler; 
22, Ulysses, Tompkins; 23, Dryden, Tompkins: 
24, Virgil, Cortland; £5, Cincinnatus, Cortland; 
26, Junius. Seneca; 27, Galen, Wayne; 28, Ster- 
ling. Wayne and Cayuga. 

The Federal government having offered lands 
in the west to the soldiers of the revolution, the 
state hiid cut tl;e military tracts to keep as many 



The person appointed by the commissioners first 
drew the ballot containing the number of the lot; 
in which manner each claimant's allotment was 
determined. 

The earliest settlement of the Military Tract 
was on the east shore of Cayuga lake, and so far 
as records go the settlers were the family of 
Roswell Franklin near Aurora, Cayuga county, 
who came up from Wysax, Penn., by boat, fol- 
lowing the Susquehanna and Tioga rivers to 
Newtown (Elmira) thence crossing to the head 
of Seneca lake; thence by boat through that lake 
and Seneca river to Cayuga lake. 
Landmarks; Wolcott from 1850 to the Fire of 
1884: [See engravings pages 5-8] : — 
Wolcott prior in 18.55 is shown on page 5. The 
Wolcott Hotel was then occupied by E. Y. Mun- 
son, who constructed balconies on the old build- 
ing. .Julius Whiting afterwards built the new 
hotel. 



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JLCUTT; FIRE OF 



here as possible, offering a bonus of 100 acres to 
privates who would relinquish their western 
claims and accept this offer of 600 acres of land 
in this state before July 1, 1790. The state re- 
served in each town two lots for schools, two for 
churches and two to be distributed among com- 
missioned officers. The allotment of lands was 
to be made by drawing. 

In default of a settlement on each 600 acres 
within seven years the land was to revert to the 
state. Fifty acres of each lot called the "survey 
fifty" was subject to the charge of forty-eight 
shillings ($6.00) to pay for surveying, and if that 
were not paid in two years the "survey fifty" 
was to be sold. Compliance with these two 
main conditions gave the patentee full title to 
the whole 600 acres. 

The distribution of lots occurred July 3, 1790, 
under the direction of the governor, lieutenant- 
governor and four state officers. The names of 
the claimants of the land were placed on ballots 
in one box and numbers corresponding to the al- 
lotments were placed on ballots in another box. 



The first white building, the Gilbert block, was 
occupied by D. C. Whitford in 1872. B. A. Mer- 
rill, boots and shoes, was then in the second 
story and Billy Culliford lodged in the basement, 
where for some years prior he ran a saloon. The 
building was erected by two brothers — hatters. 
George H. Ames had a justice's office on the 
second floor for 45 years. 

In the building beyond were located Hovey & 
Burnet, hats, (the site of Olmsted's drug store) ; 
Smedley & Roberts, groceries (the site of the 
Bank); Wellington Olmsted, restaurant. 

The Arcade was built by Isaac Leavenworth. 
Curry, harnessmaker, occupied the west end up 
stairs. The oval patch over the walk is his sign. 
Hyde & Davis, grocers, were under his shop. 
Their sign over the end windows can be read 
through a strong glass. William Wadsworth 
previously had a store there. In the east end of 
the Arcade Mrs. Bissell had a millinery store, 
over which was A. A. Stinard's shoe shop. In 
the middle store of the Arcade was Thomas' 
printing office. When the building was first 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



erected it was wholly occupied on the ground 
floor by Schaeffers' general store. 

Henry Sheldon and Dexter Taylor were also in 
business in those old buildings. 

In the engraving on page 8 are shown the new 
brick structures which stood in 1877. . That with 
the bay window was put up by D. G. Whitford in 
1876. Seamans, some years after, performing 
on the slack wire lost his life by the falling of 
one end of the wire, the rebound throwing him 
off. The first building is now the site of Mur- 
phey's store. Beach's business was next beyond. 
Then came Whitford & Campbell. Paige built 
the next building; U. G. Brewster erected and 
occupied the next, Jefferson Abbott the next to 
that; and Albert Wells the building next to the 
Arcade. 

The middle building beyond the ruins (seepage 
8) was Stephen Bullock's wagon shop and in the 
next to the left Sam and WiUiam Rogers had a 
blacksmith shop. The old Methodist church is 



the Delano hotel. From an account of the fire 
in the "Lake Shore News" the following facts. 
are taken: — A telegram to Oswego brought 
steamer No 2 with fifteen firemen who arrived 
at 7 A. M. 

H. A. Delano and family, H. C. Creque and 
family, Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Wheelock and Mr. 
and Mrs. H. M. Hamilton got out safely, only 
the latter saving a few valuables. 

Eight blocks, all brick, were burned, including 
the Wells and the Sax blocks on the south side 
of Main street. Twenty-three business firms 
were burned out and fourteen families rendered 
homeless. 

The following were losers by the fire: — Henry 
Michael, building; Jerry Seibring, building, etc.; 
H. A. Delano, Empire House; R. A. Wheelock, 
building; R. Beach, flour and feed; Warren & 
Tuttle, hardware; Martin Spahr, stock and house- 
hold; Casper Spahr, building; C. H. Finch, 
clothier and household; C. Post, stock and house- 
hold; L. I. Kenyon, building; C. H. Allen, build- 




Loaned by C. W. Smith. 

Showing James Seaman Performii 



WOLCOTT IN 1877. 



Brick Structu 



Pla 



plainly seen beyond (now the site of D. C. Whit- 
ford's residence). Back of the church was a 
cemetery. No trace of it remains. 

Across Mill street on the corner was W. W. 
Paddock, hardware. East of him was S. H. 
Foster's drug store and Amos Nash's egg vats. 
Phillips' cabinet shop was on the west side of 
Mill street, and the old foundry stood across the 
street. 

In the brown house, corner of Main and Jeffer- 
son streets (now Conway's residence) George H. 
Reed made furniture. 

Empire Block. — [See engraving, page 9].— 
This building was burned early Sunday morning, 
Feb. 10, 1884. The alarm was given by ringing 
the church bells. The Empire Block stood on 
the north side of Main street, extending west 
from Mill street. It was built by Wells & 
Wheelock. In the corner was the entrance to 



ing, goods and household. W. W. Paddock, stoves; 
H. C. Creque, household; Mrs. Ira Scott, house- 
hold; G. A. R., A. 0. U. W. and F. & A. M., 
furniture; J. N. Robertson, M. D., office efl'ects; 
G. H. Northup, building; J. G Sax, building; 
H. C. Moses, stock; E. J. Peck, drugs; L. Burg- 
dorf, harness; D. Winchell, butcher; J. Cline, 
stock; A. Wells, market and household; C. B. 
Moon, boots and shoes; James A. Merrill, office 
and household; C. F. Valkenburg, stock; F. 
Abbott, building, stock and household; D. Con- 
ger, stock; Charles Purdy; Peter Cole, house- 
hold and stock; C. Weldon, household; Wm. H. 
Thomas, "Lake Shore News;" E.W.Newberry, 
stock and furniture; Mr. Bassett, carriage paint- 
ing; Whitford & Campbell, stock; U. G. Brew- 
ster, stock; Thacker Bros., stock; H. A. Gi-ans, 
stock. 

The total of losses was about $145,000. 

The heaviest losses were those of R. A. Whee- 
lock $35,000, H. A. Delano $14,000, G. H. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



Northup $7,500, L. I. Kenyon $9,000, Casper 
Spahr $6,500, Jerry Seibring $6,000, C. H. Finch 
$5,000 and W. H. Thomas $4,500. 

Wolcott; Town History. -The old town of 
Wolcott, comprising the present towns of But- 
ler, Wolcott, Huron and Rose, was set off from 
the north end of Junius, Seneca county, March 
24, 1807, but a legal organization was not effected 
until April, 1810. On June 11, 1814, a special 
town meeting was convened to consider the ques- 
tion of uniting with the towns of Galen, which 
then included Savannah, Sterling, Cato. Hannibal 
and Lysander, in a new county but it was de- 
feated. 

The division of the town was next agitated, 
about 1823. It was proposed to make four towns 
out of the original town of Wolcott. A conven- 
tion was called by the moving spirits and the 
freely. The affirmative 



This was four years after the location in the 
town of the first white settler. 

MELVINS— church's — WHEELERS. 

The settlement of the town of Wolcott was 
begun by Jonathan Melvin, Sr., who located on 
lot No. .50 in 1806. Jonathan Melvin, Jr., his 
son, was the first settler in the town of Clyde. 
Then came Adonijah Church from Massachusetts 
in 1806; Osgood Chui-ch and family and Hiram 
Chui-ch and Dr. Zenas Hyde and Zenas Wheeler 
in 1807; Lambert Woodrufl" who bought land in 
the vicinity of Red Creek in 1807 and moved on 
to it in 1810; Eliab Abbott in 1808; Obadiah 
Adams in 1810; Noadiah Child and Giles and 
Thaddeus Fitch in 1811; Jacob Snyder with a 
family of ten children in 1813. 

Giles Fitch came here in his business as a mail 
contractor, the first who carried mail between 
Auburn and Wolcott, riding the distance on 
horseback. 




Loaned by C. W. Smith. 



EMPIRE BLOCK-BURNED FEB. 10. 1884. 



was settled without much trouble, but there was 
some trouble in the adjustment of the boundary 
lines. Huron and Butler both wanted to include 
Wolcott village, and Red Creek which then had 
some aspirations desired to arrange matters so 
that it would be the chief village in the town of 
Wolcott. 

Nearly three years were occupied in reaching 
an understanding and in 1826 the division of the 
old town of Wolcott was effected. 

Up to the time Wayne county was erected 
Wolcott was in the county of Seneca, as was 
also Galen lying south of it. It comprised a 
township of about twelve miles square bounded 
on the north by Lake Ontario, on the east by 
Cayuga county, on the south by the town of 
Galen and on the west by Ontario county, which 
at that time comprised all of the western part 
of the present county of Wayne. 

In 1810 the population of Wolcott was 480 in- 
cluding only fifty-nine males who had the prop- 
erty qualifications for voting for State Senators. 



Osgood Church, a surveyor, came here as a 
sub-agent for the lands of Charles Williamson. 
On October 27, 1809, he obtained the deed for 
855 acres at $2.40 an acre. His brother Adoni- 
jah served as commissioner of schools and su- 
pervisor. 

WOODRUFFS— SNYDER— RUNYON. 

Lambert Woodruff bought 500 acres adjoining 
the Balack farm where he lived for a time. 

Thomas Snyder, the son of Jacob Snyder, 
erected the first saw and grist mill at Red Creek. 

Jonathan Runyon, a revolutionary soldier, took 
up 600 acres of land in the town of Wolcott. 

Robert McArthur, John Ford and Daniel Pat- 
terson were soldiers of the war of 1812 who 
settled in the town of Wolcott. 

Wm. Olney Wood, one of the early settlers, 
was a tanner at Red Creek. He built Wood's 
hotel there and afterwards opened a private 
bank. He also served as supervisor of the town. 

Capt. Horace L. Dudley, who came here in 
1824, was captain in the state militia in 1829. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




Smith, Photo. DRAPER ST.. WEST SIDE. LOOKING NORTH 

Obadiah Adams, a brother-in-law of Osgood 
Church, was a colonel of the state militia and a 
prominent business man in the village of Wol- 
cott. 

The personal history and characteristics of 
many of these mentioned in this sketch are de- 
tailed elsewhere in this work and will be found 
interesting reading. Very complete reference 
is made to several under the caption "Wolcott; 
Earliest Business Men and Earliest Industries." 

Zenas Wheeler, an elder in the Presbyterian 
church, was a member of the General Assembly 
in 1837. 

Abijah Moore came to the village in 1809. 

Stephen and Sylvanus Joiner on March 1, 
1811, bought 1,050 acres for $4 an acre ef Fel- 
lows and McNab on lot 344. 

Hiram Church, a son of Osgood Church, was 
two years old when his father came here, in 
1808, and lived to see a beautiful village spring 
up into full and thrifty growth before he died, 
in 1889. Considerable material has been taken 
for this work from historical articles which he 
wrote and which were pub- 
lished in the "Lake Shore 
News." 

John C. Wadsworth, 
who came from Vermont, 
and settled in Butler with 
his father in 1819, located 
in Wolcott in 1832. He 
was sheriff of the county 
four years. 

Jesse Mathews was an- 
other who lived in the 
town before 1820. He was 
supervisor in 1817. 

Lott Stewart, who kept 
tavern at Stewart's Cor- 
ners, was widely known 
throughout the county. 

SEVERAL PROMINENT 
FAMILIES. 

Prominent among the 
early settlers of the town 
were the following: — 

James Alexander, Eph- 
raim P. Bigelow, Benja- 



min Brown, Luke Brinker- 
hoff, George W. Brinker- 
hoff , Deacon Cyrus Brock- 
way and Peres Bardwell. 
Seth Craw, Alpheus Col- 
lins and Thaddeus Collins. 
Daniel Dutcher, Rev. 
Amos P. Draper, Anson 
Drury, George Doolittle 
and John Dow. 

Joseph Foster, Stephen 
D. Fowler, M. P. Foster, 
M. P. Foote, Alanson 
Frost, Roswell Fox, Jacob 
Fraber and Milton Fuller. 
John Grandy, Moses Gil- 
lett and Ashley Goodrich. 
Linus Hubbard, James 
M. Hall, Rev. Ira H. Ho- 
gan, Thomas Hall, Hamil- 
ton Hibbard, Aaron Hop- 
kin, Alpheus Harmon, 
John Hyde, Stephen Her- 
rick, Thomas Hancock, Elijah Hancock, Consider 
Herrick and William Hallett. Capt. Thomas W. 
Johnson. Ezra Knapp. 

Jarvis Mudge, Gardner Mudge, John Mack, 
Elias Y. Munson, Silas Munsell, Abijah Moore, 
Caleb Mills and Pender Marsh. Wm. P. Newell. 
Samuel J. Otis, Isaac Otis and Roger Olmsted. 
Wm. W. Phillips and Prentice Palmer. Isaac 
Rice. 

Levi Smith, Wm. Sax, Charles Sweet, Noah 
Starr, Jacob Shook. Roger Sheldon, Wareham 
Sheldon and Jabez Stewart. John Turner and 
Eliakim Tupper. 

George I. Van Fleet, Garret Van Fleet, Robert 
Van Tassell, Ransom Ward, Jedediah Wilson, 
Jesse W. Williams, Joseph Ward, Franklin 
Ward, John Woodruff, Charles Woodruff, Lyman 
Whitney, Jacob Ward, Nathaniel Williams, 
Glazier Wheeler, Eli Wheeler and R. W. Young- 
love. 

The First Tavern in the village of Wolcott 
was opened and kept by Obadiah Adams. 




WEST MAIN ST.. NORTH SIDE. LOOKING EA.ST. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



n 



Wayne County; The Earliest Movement for 
Its Erection: — What was known as the "Lyons 
Petition" was the earliest movement for the 
erection of Wayne county. It was dated Nov. 
15, 1822, and was addressed to the Legislature, 
asking that the towns of Lyons, Sodus, William- 
son, and parts of the towns of Phelps in Onta- 
rio county and Wolcott and Galen, then in Sene- 
ca county, should constitute the proposed new 
county of Wayne. The petition was presented 
to the Legislature Jan, 8, 1823, and reported by 
committee favorably February 3. The bill for 
the erection of the county was passed April 11, 
and included the towns named in the "Lyons 
Petition." The bill named as commissioners for 
determining the site of the county buildings 
Wm. D. Ford of Jefferson county, Samuel Strong 
of Tioga county and Oliver P. Ashley of Green 
county. Court was to be held until the county 
seat was fixed in the "Presbyterian meeting 
house in Lyons." That portion of Phelps in- 
cluded in the new county was finally annexed to 
the town of Lyons. Nathaniel Kellogg of Sodus, 
Wm. Patrick of Lyons and Simeon Griswold of 



Great Britain. After the revolution this claim 
was adjusted between the states of Massachu- 
setts and New York, and Phelps & Gorham re- 
ceived a good title. Through an agent in Lon- 
don Mr. Morris sold a large part of this tract to 
Sir Wm. Pultenay, John Hornby and Patrick 
Colquhoun to whom he transferred the title to 
about 1,200,000 acres for thirty-five thousand 
pounds sterling, about $175,000. Subsequently, 
the three partners, London men, divided the 
tract. Sir Wm. Pultenay 's share besides the 
lands comprised in the tract embracing portions 
of several counties, contained parts of the towns 
of Lyons, Galen and Wolcott in Wayne county 
amounting to about 80,000 acres. The title to 
the Pultenay estate was held in the name of 
Charles Williamson, who came from England as 
the accredited agent and in order to hold the 
title secured naturalization papers, the law of 
this country forbidding aliens to hold large tracts 
of land not actually settled by them. 

The Pultenay title was contested for some 
years but was confirmed both by decrees of the 
courts and by legislative enactment. The head- 




LAKE AVE.. LOOKING NORTH FROM MAIN ST. 



Galen were named commissioners to build the 
court house and jail. The supervisors of the 
new county were directed to meet at the house 
of Henry L. Woollsey, Lyons, then a tavern in 
that village, on the first Tuesday in October to 
levy an assessment for collecting $2,500 towards 
building a court house and jail, the same amount 
to be levied at their next annual meeting. The 
commissioners in June, 1823, decided upon the 
public square in Lyons as the site of the county 
buildings. 

The Pultenay Estate was the largest landed 
possession in Wayne county where many of the 
farm titles come from its owner, who with two 
other capitalists purchased the lands from Robert 
Morris of Philadelphia. Mr. Morris bought from 
Phelps & Gorham 2,200,000 acres in western 
New York for which he paid thirty thousand 
pounds. New York currency, equal to about 
$75,000. The Phelps and Gorham grant was 
originally made by the state of Massachusetts, 
which claimed title to pretty much all of west- 
ern New York under grant from the crown of 



quarters, or land office, was for years at Gene- 
va, and there the purchasers of farms (the ten- 
ants as they really were) had to go to make 
their periodical payments. What is now Wayne 
county was then divided between Seneca and 
Ontario counties. 

Mr. Williamson brought with him as agents or 
factors Charles Cameron, John Johnstone, James 
and Henry Tower, Andrew Smith and Hugh Mc- 
Cartney, men who undoubtedly have descendants 
still living in some parts of Wayne county, and 
whose names are conspicuous in the early history 
of the county. 

Cameron was in fact placed in charge of the 
lands during the earliest period of the settle- 
ment, in the vicinity of Lyons and Clyde, where 
he acted as local agent. Some claim that he gave 
the name Clyde to the river after which that 
village is named. In 1803 or '4 Mr. Williamson 
returned to Scotland leaving Col. Benjamin 
Walker in charge of the estate. He was suc- 
ceeded by John H. Woods of Geneva. Col. 
Robert Troup became their successor, as did 
also James Rees. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




First Presbyterian Ciiurch— This society 
was organized July 13, 1813, by Rev. Charles 
Mosier, pastor of the congregation of Romulus 
and Rev. Henry Axtell, pastor of the congrega- 
tion of Geneva. The complete list of members 
giving the places whence they came, all of whom 
brought letters from churches in those places, is 
as follows: 

Erastus Wilder, Phelps, N. Y. ; Robert M. 
Palmer. Brutus, N. 
Y. ; Luther Whee- 
ler, Akin, N. Y.; 
Jonathan Melvin, 
Phelps, N. Y. ; Mar- 
tha Fox, Nevington, 
Ct. ; Lucy Wheeler, 
Akm, N. Y.; Da- 
maris Wilson, East 
Windsor, Ct. ; Ezra 
Knapp, New Marl- 
borough, Mass. ; 
Elihu Jones and 
Noah Seymour, 
New Hartford, Ct.; 
John Wade, Pans, 
N Y. ; Roswell Fox 
and Elisha and Ruth 
Plank, Sangerfield, 
N. Y.; Adelia 
Knapp, New Marl- 
borough, Mass. ; 
Miriam Seymour, 
New Hartford, Ct. ; 
Joanna Bruce, San- 
gerfield, N. Y. ; Eliz- 
abeth Olmsted, 
Margaret Upson 
and Elizabeth Shel- 
don, New Hartford, 
Ct. The three unit- 
ing on confession of 
faith which make 
the total number of 
members at the 
organization of 



the church, were Josiah Upson, Amy Hancock 
and Eunice Wade. Two were united in Sept, 
1813, Mrs. Lucy Church and Mrs. Hannah Doo- 
little. 

At a meeting at the schoolhouse [on the site of 
the present Baptist church], near Obadiah 
Adams', Sept. 7, 1813, Lambert Woodruff, Jo- 
siah Upson, Jarvis Mudge, Noah Seymour, Jon- 
athan Melvin and John Wade were elected trus- 
tees. Adonijah Church was elected clerk. 

Rev. Daniel S. Butterick, the first pastor, was 
engaged Jan. 18, 1814, for four years at a salary 
of $200. The agreement entered into by fifty- 
one persons to raise that amount annually pro- 
vided that each should be taxed "according to 
the valuation of real and personal property" he 
possessed, "as taken and valued by the asses- 
sors of the town of Wolcott," after deducting 
what the clergyman had received in donations 
and subscriptions. 

This organization continued until 1827, wor- 
shipping during that time alternately in the 
Adams' and the Cobble Hill schoolhouses, when 
the membership divided, the greater part of the 
number organizing a church in Huron and the 
others re-organizing the Wolcott church. Out 
of 44 actual members at this time from a record 
of 102 received from the beginning, the separa- 
tion left the Wolcott church with 12 members, 
viz: — Elisha and Ruth Plank, Lambert and Mai-y 
Woodruff, Simon Toll and Zeruah Viele, Jerusha 
Salmon, Lucy Church, Elizabeth Olmsted, Vicey 
Henderson, Lavina Drury and Hannah Doolittle. 
Elisha Plank and Simon Toll Viele were chosen 
the first elders. The former died in October, 
1852, and the latter about a year after the new 
church organization. 




THE I'RESUYTERIAN CHURCH. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



From 1821 to 1824 the church was without a 
.stated supply and it was not until November 29, 
1826, when Rev. Alanson B. Chittenden was en- 
gaged, that it again procured a pastor. 

In the summer of 1826 the first church edifice 
of the society was raised and enclosed — on West 
Main street, the present site of Dr. Watkins' 
residence. It was in 1832 that it was finished 
inside. The trustees authorized to act as the 
building committee when the work of construc- 
tion was begun, were Alanson Melvin, John 
Woodruff, Abijah Moore, Andrew Chapin, Elisha 
Plank and Merritt Candee. The subscription 
committee, named January 26, 1826, were David 
Arne, Jr. William Wells, Merritt Candee, John 
Woodrufi:', Abijah Moore, Alanson Melvin and 
John R. Taintor. Thirty-three contributors sub- 
scribed a total of $1,405 which was accepted in 
four payments made in lumber, grain and meat. 

The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. 
Joseph Merrill of Junius. During the service 
the congregation was seized with a panic by the 
falling of a seat in the gallery and the house was 



this church building was erected; and he 
preached the last sermon in it, February 11, 
1883. 

The present edifice on West Main street, a 
very pretty structure, was dedicated, with the 
society free from debt, February 15, 1883, and 
cost complete $16,814. The corner stone was 
laid by the Rev. William A. Rice, who was then 
pastor, July 6, 1882. 

Rev. Charles T. Shaw, the present pastor, a 
native of England, received a unanimous call to 
the Williamson church while at the Auburn The- 
ological Seminary. He resigned that pastorate 
to accept his present charge and since he has 
come here many have been added to the church 
and all departments have been strengthened and 
enlarged. 

The Pastors :- 

Rev. Daniel S. Butterick, January 1814 to 
January 1815; Rev. William Clark, 1815 (settled 
in Wolcott January 1816) to September 3, 1823; 
from that time reading of sermons and occasion- 
al supplies; Rev. Alanson B. Chittenden Novem- 




MRS. G. H. NORTHUP'S S. S. CI, AS 

Lower Row. (left to right): Liela Jourden. Mane S 
Alice Perry. Upper Row— Bessie Parks. Reta Olmstead. 
Dowd. Glenny Countryman. 



Netta OlmsteaU. Theda 



stampeded until empty. All returned to their 
seats as soon as the cause of their fright was 
made clear. This church was continued in use 
until the erection of the second edifice on the 
south side of East Main street, in 1852, where 
the structure still stands, now in use by New- 
berry, & Barton, merchants. The lecture or 
session room, a separate building east of it, is 
now occupied by the Wolcott Courier. It has 
been used for various purposes, including a 
blacksmith shop. 

The lot was donated to the society by Isaac 
Leavenworth who also erected for the society 
the session room and the church sheds. 

Isaac Leavenworth and Ann L., his wife, 
united with the church, by letter from the Bing- 
hamton Presbyterian church, January 1, 1842. 
Mr. Leavenworth gave the society the Arcade 
property and a site for a parsonage consisting of 
four acres of land. Mrs. Leavenworth at her 
death left the society $1,400 for the erection of 
the parsonage. 

During the pastorate of Rev. Thomas Wright 



ber 29, 1826; Rev. Nathan Gillette, 1826; Revs. 
Jesse Townsend, Howell R. Powell, William 
Clark, Publius V. Bogue and Daniel Hopkins 
(supply) 1826-'35; Rev. Nathaniel Merrill, 1835-'9; 
Rev. Nathaniel Waldo (supply to fill vacancy 
caused by Mr. Merrill's death), 1839; Rev. 
Thomas Wright, 1839-'55; Rev. P. I. Burnham 
(stated supply), 1856- '9; Rev. Darwin Chiches- 
ter, 1859-'62: Rev. A. Blakely (stated supply), 
six months in 1863; Rev. W. L. Page began as 
stated supply January 1, 1864, and continued 
(finally as pastor) his labors here eleven years 
and six months — to June 1876, Rev. William A. 
Rice, 1876-'84; Rev. L. M. Clarke, January 1, 
1884, four years following; Rev. H. B. Steven- 
son, 1888-1900; Rev. Charles T. Shaw, installed 
fall of 1901— present pastor. 

The First Death among the settlers in the 
town of Wolcott before it was erected was that 
of Sarah Mills, on Dec. 25, 1809. She was buried 
on the Viele farm. 



GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




REV. JOSEPH LINCOLN GILLARD. 

Methodist Episcopal Church. — The earliest 
appearance of Methodism in Wolcott was on 
October 9, 1813, when a quarterly meeting was 
held in Daniel Roe's barn— the first in the Sodus 
Circuit, Genesee Conference. Gideon Draper 
was Presiding Elder and Zenos Jones circuit 
preacher. The collection amounted to $10. 
Wolcott was next, in 1817, embraced in the Cato 
circuit. It was changed, in 1821, to Victory Cir- 
cuit which in 1832 was divided, creating Rose 

circuit which included Wolcott. 

That year, the first regular 
preacher, Elijah Barnes, came to 
Wolcott, although the year pre- 
vious Samuel Bibbins established 
an appointment in Wolcott. 

"Father" Bibbins, as he was 
called, was an old man, and his 
circuit required six weeks to 
"make the rounds." 

Elijah Barnes formed a class 
in Wolcott in 1832 which com- 
prised Lanson Millington, leader, 
Lovina Millington, Jerusha 
Pierce, Mathew Pierce and Phoebe 
South wick. 

On February 23, 1836, pursuant 
to notice, at a meeting in the 
district school house in the village, 
largely attended, the Methodist 
church society was organized and 
named Second Zion Society of the 
M. E. Church of the Town of 
Wolcott. Roswell Benedict, James 
Park and Levi Smith were elected 
trustees and directed to solicit 
subscriptions to purchase a site 
and erect a house for worshiii. 
The subscription paper was not 
circulated until the summer of 
1838. The following year the 
building was erected on the north 
side of Main street (the present 
site of D. C. Whitford's resi- 
dence), and on Oct. 17, 183<), it 



was dedicated, Seth Mattison preaching the 
sermon for the occasion. 

In 1872 the present large building on Lake 
avenue was erected, the corner stone being 
laid June 29 of that year. The church was 
dedicated the following year. It cost about 
$22,000 including the site. W. W. Paddock, 
G. H. Russell and Lacey Rumsay were the 
committee who had charge of the construction 
of the new building. 

In 1893 a lot on Draper street was pur- 
chased at a cost of $550 and a very handsome 
parsonage erected which cost $2,473. 

During the summer of 1904 about $1,500 
was expended in repairs on the church prop- 
erty. 

The society is practically free from debt 
and has property altogether valued at about 
$18,000. 

The present officers are:— Pastor, J. L. Gil- 
lard; S. S. Superintendent, William H. Pad- 
dock; Epworth League President, Dr. Harry 
W. Day; Junior League Superintendent, Mrs. 
Clara M. Gillard; W. H. M. S. President, 
Mrs. H. L. Rumsay; W. F. M. S. President, 
Mrs. Mary Brown. 

Trustees-J. G. Strait, Wm. H. Paddock, 
Irving Mclntyre, Willis Roe, Elihu Rogers, G. 
G. Salsbury, Granville Armstrong, Fred Bevier, 
M. H. Fenn. 

Stewards— H. L. Rumsay, I. L. Sherwood, J. 
H. L. Roe, J. Byron Smith, G. W. Cooper, C. 
G. Rice, Tibbits Walker, C. H. Allen, C. E. 
Johnson, W. J. Clapper, W. S. Church, Wm. 
Winchell, W W. Jenkins. 
The following have preached to the Metho- 




rilE METHODI.ST EI'ISCOI'AL CHURCH. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



15 



dists of Wolcott: — Circuit— Samuel Bibbins, 
1831; Elijah Barnes, 1832-'4; John Thomas and 
Moses Lyon, supplies, 1834 (two months) ; Wil- 
liam McKorn and Lewis Bell, 1834-'5; Burrough 
Holmes and Joseph Cross, 1835-'7 Anson Taller 
and Joseph Kilpatrick, 1837. 

Preachers in charge of Huron and Wolcott 
stations- Robert Everdale, Allen H. Tillton. 
1840-'2. 

Pastors at Wolc"tt-R. Everdale, 1838-'40 
A.TH. Tillton, 1840-'2: J. H. Lamb, 1842-'4; E 
E. Bragdon, 1844-'6; M. Lyon, 1846-'8; A. Chapin, 
1848-'50: C. H. Austin, T. W. Thurston, 1850-'2 
L. D. White, 1852-'3; H. Woodruff, 1853-'4; L 
Whitcomb, 1854-'6; I. Turney, 1856-'8; L. L, 
Adkins, 1858-'60; G. H. Salsbury, 1860-'2; Rich- 
ard Redhead, 1862-'4; Hiram M. Church, 1864-'7 
W. S. Titus, 1867-'9; Oscar A. Houghton 
1869-'71; Loren Eastwood, 1871-'4: Burdette W. 
Hamilton, 1874-'7; Richard H. Clark, 1877-'8 
Edmund M. Mills, 1878-'81; L. F. Congdon, 
1881-'4. C. T. Moss, 1884-'7; Charles Eddy 



Abram Bunce made the first contract for the 
purchase of 144 acres from this tract (now 
known as the Van Vleet farm) in the town of 
Butler. Jonathan Melvin bought his 500 acres 
from this estate, including pretty much all of 
the present site of the village of Wolcott. 

When Charles Williamson left this country 
never to return, although his intentions were to 
come back, he left Wm. Howe Cuyler as agent 
for his tract. 

Earliest Schools -The first Schoolhouse in 
the town of Wolcott was a log structure built in 
1810, in Wolcott village, on the site of Dr. Wat- 
kins' residence. In 1812 District No. 1 was 
erected and a log schoolhouse was constructed 
by Jonathan Melvin, sr., near the Knapp foun- 
dry. The first trustees in this district were 
Osgood Church, Lambert Woodruff and Eliakum 
Tucker. 

Jonathan Melvin donated an acre of ground, 




1887-'90; Calvin L. Conwell, 1890- '3: J. C. B. 
Moyer, 1893-'7; Samuel F. Sanford, 1897-'8; 
George E. Hutchings, 1898-1902; William H. 
Latimer, 1902-'4; Joseph L. Gillard, 1904, (pres- 
ent pastor). 

The Williamson Tract included all of the 
towns of Huron and Rose, except two tiers of 
lots in the south end of the town of Rose, and the 
western parts of the towns of Wolcott and But- 
ler which were included in the Military tract 
that is described on another page of this work. 
The east line of the Williamson tract passed 
about a mile and a quarter east of the centre of 
the village of Wolcott. Charles Williamson, the 
American agent of the Pultenay estate (see 
Pultenay estate on another page) bought the 
tract from Sir Wm. Pultenay and from him or 
his agents were obtained the titles to much of 
the land included in Wolcott village. About 10, 000 
acres were sold from this estate at prices ranging 
from $2.40 to $5 an acre. Osgood Church and 
Fred Wolcott were the sub-agents for the sale 
of these lands. 



now the site of the Baptist church, and a frame 
school building was erected on it. This building 
was afterwards moved across the street and 
made an addition to Obadiah Adams' hotel. 

A new structure was erected on the lot near 
the corner of Washington and New Hartford 
streets, which stood until 1843, known as the old 
red schoolhouse. A two-story building was then 
erected in its place which was burned in 186.5. 

Among the earlier teachers in these last two 
buildings were Mary Lambert, daughter of Lam- 
bert Woodruff; John, son of Jonathan Melvin; 
Daniel Butrick; Huldah, daughter of Deacon 
Noah Seymour (Mrs. John Roe) ; Prudence Wells 
(Mrs. Jedediah Wilder) ; WilHam, son of Elisha 
Plank; Loren Doolittle Austin Roe; Harlow 
Hyde; Levi Hendrick; Barabus Knapp; Willis 
Roe ; Samuel Colbath. 

The First Mills for sawing and grinding in 
the town of Wolcott were built by Jonathan 
Melvin in 1810. 



16 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. -[By Mrs. 
J. E. Lawrence.]— In the spring of 1844 the Rt. 
Rev. W. H. Delancy, the first Bishop of the Di- 
ocese of Western New York, visited Wolcott 
and the first Episcopal service in the village was 
held in the Methodist church, whose people cor- 
dially welcomed the Bishop and congregation to 
their building. After this occasional services 
were rendered by the several rectors of the Clyde 
parish, as follows:-Rev. C. G. Ackley, 1849; 
Charles Gardner, 1851; William Paret, 1855; A 
VanOstrand, 1855-60; A. E. Bishop, 1861; F. N. 
Luson, 1862; R. C. Wall, 1864; R. Dobyns, 1865; 
L. B. VanDyck, 1867-8. 

In September, 1867, St Stephen's Episcopal 
church was incorporated with nine male mem- 
bers. The following officers were elected: — 
Oliver T. Ladue, Senior Warden; Norton E Mer- 
rell. Junior Warden; Thomas B. Baird, Robert 
B. Underbill, William H. Walker. Jonathan Allen, 



about the same time and the church people were 
without a house. In 1874-'othe Rev. William H. 
Lordof Clyde officiated occasionally, and reported 
the property as consisting of an organ and bell, 
value .$250. 

In 1875 Charles D. Barber was stationed in 
Wolcott. Under Mr. Barber a site was pro- 
cured and a subscription list of $600 obtained. 
Again, circumstance over which there seemed no 
control swept away the prospects of a church. 

After a lapse of about twenty years Archdeacon 
Louis C. Washburn reported having officiated five 
times and sent a lay-reader. Mr. Henry S. Sill of 
Sodus, and he also reported 2.3 communicants. 
From this time infrequent services were held in 
one hall and another with growing attendance. 
On Monday July, 14, 1904, services were held by 
the Rt. Rev. Bishop Walker, Bishop of the Dio- 
cese, with Archdeacon Washburn, joined by Rev. 
F. N. Bouck and the surpliced choir of St. John's 




James Armstrong, Allen Armstrong, Fred C. 
Lander and William Coventry, vestrymen. 

On the 17th of December of the same year the 
Rt. Rev. A. C. Coxe, Bishop of the Diocese, in 
company with the Rev. L. B. VanDyck of Clyde 
visited the new parish. Rev. VanDyck baptized 
several persons and these with others were pre- 
sented to the Bishop for confirmation. At this 
time services were held in a hall owned by Oliver 
T. Ladue. To Mr. Ladue and Charles P. Lander 
was the church in Wolcott chiefly indebted— un- 
der God— for its organization, and prospects. 

In 1868 the Rev. Lichery Wilber became rector, 
and reported 18 families, 19 communicants, 64 
individual members, with 16 baptisms, the first 
three months. Through various causes the par- 
ish failed to support the minister and again be- 
came dependent upon the rector of Clyde and lay 
readers. In 1870 occurred the death of Oliver T. 
Ladue and the financial part of the church suf- 
fered. Mr. Ladue gave without stint. The 
building which contained the chapel was burned 



church of Clyde. Two adults were baptized and 
four confirmed. The use of the Baptist church 
was kindly given for the services. 

In November 1902 the Rev. William Benjamin 
Reynolds began ministration assisted by lay- 
reader from Rochester. On May 12, 190;?, the 
lot at the head of East Main street was pur- 
chased and ground immediately broken for the 
new church.. The corner stone of the beautiful 
stone edifice was laid by Bishop Walker Nov. 6, 
1903. On February 6, 1905, the opening services 
were held, Archdeacon William L. Davis having 
taken up the work with zeal. In June, 1904, Rev. 
Charles R. Allison was placed in charge of the 
parish and has since served faithfully, the con- 
gregation growing in number and interest. 

J. E. Lawrence is Senior Warden and Clerk, 
and E. D. Scott, Treasurer. 

The First Clergyman who settled and fol- 
lowed his profession in the town of Wolcott was 
the Rev. Daniel S. Buttick. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



17 




Baptist Church — 

IByRev.J.S.Nasmith]. 
— The Baptist church 
with its 102 members 
and property worth 
$18,000, ranks third 
among the churches of 
Wolcott and third or 
fourth among the Bap- 
tist churches in Wayne 
county. 

The first period in 
the history of the 
church from its organ- 
ization in 1832 covers 
nearly fifty years, 
reaching a membership 
of about a hundred fol- 
lowed by a decline in 
1874 to only fourteen. 
Mr. and Mrs. Grove 
Henderson, Mr. and 
Mrs. Dexter Miner, 
Mr. and Mrs. D. N. 
Wood, Mrs. Ellen Jones 
and Mrs. Drury were 
the chief survivors of 
the little band. Of 
pastors, the writer of 
this sketch has learned 
of but three who served 
in that time: Rev. 
Isaac Bucklin, said to 
have been the first pas- 
toi. Rev. 0. P. Meeks, 
the last one of that 
period (his bride will be 
remembered by old res- 
idents, for the work 
she did in the great 
temperance revival of 
1877-8; though com- 
pelled to use a crutch 
she was very active in 
that campaign), and 
Rev. Amos P. Draper, 
who was twice pastor, 



and whose Godly character, energy and tact was 
marked by all. Dexter N. Miner is the only one 
left to the church now, of all who were connected 
with it in those early days. 

The second period in the history of the church 
dates from 1879 and covers about eight years. 
Good old brother Wood had prayed and plead at 
associational meetings for many years that help 
might come to Wolcott. Rev. A. H. Stearns 
could not get rid of the thought that God wanted 
him to help answer that man's prayers. While 
pastor at South Butler he had had wonderful 
success in meetings at a schoolhouse near Wol- 
cott in 1875. This interest had grown stronger 
as he had nourished it year by year. The people 
were nearer Wolcott than South Butler, they 
had more interests drawing them that way. It 
seemed to Father Stearns that God had raised 
up these converts that they might go to the help 
of this feeble band. The converts saw it as he 
did and on a never-to-be-forgotten day a meet- 
ing was held in Wolcott to effect a union of this 
strong colony in the country with the weak 
church in town. 

Only three of the Wolcott church were there to 
receive these new members:— Mrs. Wood (Fath- 
er Wood had died a little while before), Mrs. 
Ellen -Jones and Mrs. "Drury. There were thirty 




Borrowed Cut 



THE BAPTIST CHURCH. 



18 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



of these converts, four others from the same 
neighborhood and four more who joined by ex- 
perience. With Father Stearns as pastor all 
went well until poor health forced him to give 
up the work. Rev. A. R. Babcock took charge 
of the church in 1883 and was very successful in 
getting large congregations and in building up 
the Sunday school. He stayed only two years, 
however, and when he left the condition of things 
was such, the church did not settle another pas- 
tor for a while. There are now on the roll nine- 
teen names of persons who united with the 
church during the second period. 

The next step forward in the history of the 
church was due m no small degree to the coming 
to Wolcott of two men and their families: Messrs. 
H. A. Clark and T. F. Metcalf, who entered 
into business here. They were Baptists, and 
were willing to help push forward the interests 
of the church. Tired of the inaction of the past 
two years the church began holding services and 
Father Stearns cheerfully did what he could 
again in this new start. The State Convention 
sent Evangelists Brand and Caldwell to hold 
meetings. The converts from these meetings 
and the others who joined made quite an addition 
to their numbers. In February, 1888, Rev. J. J. 
Hammer began work here. The present church 
edifice was begun in the second year of his stay. 
Then came Rev. G. W. Ball, in June, 18S»0. and 
in the two years of his pastorate, the church 
building was completed. 

But once more the dark days came. A debt of 
$3,400 burdened the church. How to get rid of 
that was the serious problem of the next five 
years. Rev. W. L. Ferguson was with the 
church a few months. Rev. C. E. Christian 
came next and stayed nine months. After an 
interval of six months Rev. Abner Morrill began, 
July 1, 1894, a pastorate that continued up to 
October 1, 1900. He was old, not very sti-ong, 
but ably piloted the church through their finan- 
cial difficulties. Quite a number of members 
also united with the church during those six 
years. In fact the membership reached its high- 
est mark at that time. Much good was done by 
him in his work in the country round about Wol- 
cott. He had a very helpful family who will 
also long be remembered. There are fifty-eight 
names on the church roll of persons who united 
during the period of 14 years, from 1887 to 1901. 

We have now come to the fourth and last peri- 
od in the history of the church— to the time when 
the Baptists, freed from all indebtedness and en- 
riched by an endowment, could begin a career 
independent of any outside aid for defraying the 
expenses of maintaining public worship. Dexter 
Miner has the honor of making the first gift of 
property to the church— a dwelling and lots on 
New Hartford street. Only a few years later 
by the bequest of Dr. E. H. Draper, a son of a 
former pastor, another house was given to the 
church, with a fund of several thousand dollars. 
All this came during the latter part of Father 
Morrill's stay here. 

It is less than four years ago the new order of 
things began. The church has not yet got into 
the full benefit of tbe income it will have. Nor 
has it seen any more than the merest beginning 
of what its resources ought to make possible. 
This accounts in part for the fact that Rev. G. 
W. Ball's second pastorate from 1901 to 1903 
was not more fruitful in results. The present 
pastor. Rev. J. S. Nasmith, who began work 
October 11, 1903, has seen 22 unite with the 
church; more paid for current expenses and more 



for benevolence than in any other year in the 
history of the church; yet he realizes, too, that 
he is simply doing preparatory work, getting 
things ready as far as he can, for the grand 
move forward he feels sure is bound to come dur- 
ing the days of one of his successors. One of 
the choicest blessings that has come during the 
present pastorate is that of a second gift from 
Dexter Miner— a new, modern-in-style parsonage 
costing $2,500. 

The present officers of the church are named 
in the following list: 

Pastor, Rev. J. S. Nasmith. 

Deacons: Elias Taylor, Charles Kellecutt. T. 
F. Metcalf, J. J. Palmer. 

Trustees: Charles Kellecutt, John J. Palmer, 
T. F. Metcalf, Elias Taylor, D. C. Whitford, 
Joel Fanning 

Clerk, Mrs. Galusha Oathout. 

Treasurer:— J. J. Palmer. 

Superintendent of the Sunday School, Miss 
Agnes Ford; President of the Y. P. S. C. E,, 
George Van Vleck; President of Women's Mis- 
sionary Society, Mrs. C. Kellecutt; President of 
Ladies' Aid Society, Mrs. Allen Westfall. 

The Erie Canal was begun— actual work — 
July 4, 1817. by breaking ground at Rome, N. Y., 
and was finished October 26, 1825. The festal 
celebration over the completion of this enter- 
prise was held in New York city Friday, Nov. 4, 
1825, upon the arrival of the first boat to pass 
through the entire length of the canal. On Wed- 
nesday, the day the canal was completed and the 
waters of Lake Erie were admitted at Buffalo, 
at ten o'clock in the morning, the "Seneca Chief" 
began her voyage eastward. Her start was an- 
nounced by the boom of a cannon at Buffalo. 
Another piece of ordinance stationed eight miles 
east responded. Another piece eight miles far- 
ther east took up the refrain, which was, in that 
manner, passed along from cannon to cannon, 
placed eight miles apart along the canal, from 
Buffalo to New York. The time required for the 
salute to pass the entire distance, .544 miles, was 
one hour and twenty minutes. The report from 
the last piece at Sandy Hook was responded to 
by guns placed at the battery and was re-echoed 
along the line back to Buffalo. 

The legislative enactment authorizing the can- 
al became a law April 15, 1817. The middle sec- 
tion was completed in 1819. On October 29, 
1822, the western section was completed and the 
canal that day opened between Rochester and 
Little Falls. 'The eastern section was completed 
so that on October 8, 1823, boats entered the 
Hudson river. The last section to be finished 
was that between Rochester and Buffalo at the 
time above stated. 

The passage of the "Seneca Chief," drawn by 
four grey horses at the start with regular re- 
lays, was hailed with joy at every village along 
the canal. The party aboard consisted of Gov. 
DeWitt Clinton and staff with invited guests, 
who at Lyons disembarked and were entertained 
with dinner and toasts. The boat reached Al- 
bany on the morning of November 3, and New 
York before daylight, November 4. On board 
was a keg of water from Lake Erie which was 
emptied into the ocean. 

State Engineer from Wayne Co. :—VanRens- 
seJaer Richmond, Nov. 3, 1857 (elected) ; served 
until Jan. 1, 1870. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



19 




CEORGE 8 HORTON. 

George S Horton, four years member of 
State Assembly representing the county of 
Wayne, and for more than twenty years practic- 
ing lawyer of prominence in that county, is a 
member of the law firm of Horton & Brown. 
Born in Wolcott March 23. 1857, the growth and 
prosperity of the village are closely interwoven 
with his own career and its promotion is to him 
a matter of deep interest. Rarely a local enter- 
prise is conceived without his advice and co-op- 
eration, and in many projects such as the Na- 
tional Bank at Wolcott, which he was chiefly 
instrumental in organizing, and of which he is 
the vice-president, and the creamery Mr. Horton 
not cnly invested of his means but was largely 
the promoter. The canning factory was estab- 
lished and placed in a prosperous condition 
through his efi'orts in interesting others. 



Mr. Horton was educated in the Leavenworth 
Institute, the Wolcott public schools, the Union 
seminary at Red Creek and at Ann Arbor, Mich. ; 
and was graduated in law at the Albany Law 
school in 1882. He married Delia, the daughter 
of Nelson Wells of Wolcott, in 1883, by whom 
there is one child — a daughter, Cecile who was 
born Dec. .30, 1886, who was graduated from the 
High school this year and now goes to Vassar. 

Soon after entering the practice of law Mr. 
Horton entered into partnership with the late 
Col. Anson S. Wood, a distinguished lawyer and 
man of prominence, and they were associated in 
practice for nine years. Mr. Horton at once en- 
tered actively into polities, being a strong Re- 
publican and finally becoming one of the recog- 
nized leaders of his party, taking the platform 
during the most important campaigns. Through 
his influence Wolcott obtained one of the finest 
postofRces in the county. 

In 1893 he accepted the nomination for Mem- 
ber of Assembly and won the fight by 2,107 ma- 
jority over a popular young Democrat. Mr. 
Horton served in the State Assembly four years, 
1894-'7, and achieved some distinction for the 
active part he took both in committee and on the 
floor of the House. Several measures he intro- 
duced, some of which became laws and others 
did not, were regarded on the whole as consist- 
ent legislation— that is the greatest good for the 
greatest number. Among them were bills lower- 
ing the rate of interest from 6 to 5 per cent, and 
establishing an equitable basis for sheriffs' and 
witnesses' fees. 

Mr. Horton 's name has been connected with 
the so-called "Horton Boxing Law." The facts 
in this matter do full justice to that gentleman 
from any point of view. That year there was a 
general public move which threatened to carry 
the Legislature off its feet and by enactment 
establish the legality of prize fighting so that no 
community could interfere with it in any way. 
The "Horton law" was a leaven which "held up" 
pro-fisticuff legislation and prevented the enact- 
ment of a law which would have disgraced the 
commonwealth. 

Mr. Horton was active on many important 
committees during his four years a member of 




Whitford. Photo. 



GEORGE S. HORTON'S RESIDENCE. 



20 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



the Legislature,— a period which he alone in the 
history of the county has served No other man 
has represented Wayne county at Albany four 
years. 

For two years succeeding his last term in the 
Assembly Mr. Horton was attached to the staff 
of the Attorney-General of the State at Albany, 
in the capacity of special counsel, being engaged 
in defending cases against the State in the Court 
of Claims. This gave him valuable experience 
and fitted him for special capacity in his own 
practice which has now become second to that of 
no other law firm in the northern part of the 
county. 

Assemblymen; Terms of Service: — Adams, 
Wm. H 1825; Armstrong, Thomas 1827-'9; '39; 
Alsop, Robert 1836; Arne Jr, David 1837; Archer, 
Orson 1867. 

Boynton, Jonathan 1827-'9; Bartle, Jas. P 1834; 
Benjamin, Elisha 1835; Blackman, Ebson 1838, 
'41; Boyce, Peter 1849; Bottum, Edward W 1851; 
Bennett, John P 1854- 5, '90; Barnes, Thomas 
1856; Bixby, Abel J I860; Burnham, Edwin K 
1885; Brinkerhotf, G W 1892. 

Chapin, Luther 1830; Corning, Joseph W 1861; 
Collins, Thaddeus W 1863-'5; Clark, Henry M 
1874; Clark, Wm H 1875; Crafts, Albert P 1880; 

Dickson, James 1824; Dickson, John J 1845; 
Durfee, Elias 1846; Durfee, Ehhu 1850; Dutton, 
Wm 1852; Durfee, Lemuel 1863-'4; Durfee, Hen- 
ry R 1871; Davis, Barnet H 1886-'8. 

Eddy, Seth 1830-'l; Estes, Charles 1858. 

Filmore, Luther 1828; Foster, Reuben H 1836; 
Farnum, Ammon S 1884-'5. 

Graves, Henry K 18.59; Glenn, E. McKinney 
1868-'9; Gurnee, Emory W 1874, '76; Gates, Ad- 
dison W 1881; Greenwood, Wm E 1882; Groat, 
R P 1889-'91; Greenwood, M I 1898-'9; Griffith, 
Fred W 1900-'2. 

Hall, Ambrose 1826; Humeston, James 1832-'3; 
Holley, John M 1838, '41; Hyde, Harlow 1856; 
Hall, Amasa 1870; Hotchkiss, Leman 1883; 
Hough, John E 1893; Horton, G. S. 1894-'7. 

Johnson, Thomas 18.57; Kip, John L 1826; 
Knapp, Alanson M 1845. 

Lapham, John 1848; Leavenworth, Isaac 1849; 
Laing, John A 1859; L'Amoreaux, Jabez S 1861. 

Morse, Enoch 1825; Morley, Horace 1840; 
Moore, Samuel 1847; Miller, James M. 1878; 
Munson, John A 1879. 

Norris, Elliott B 1891; Osband, Durfee 1840; 
Pettit, Elisha 1848; Peacock, Joseph 18.57; Pryne, 
Abram 1862; Parshall, De Witt 1868; Pierson, 
Silas S 1884. 

Roe, Austin 1844; R-gers, Wm H 1865-'7; 
Russell, Allen S 1875-'6; Robinson, Rowland 
1881. 

Salisbury, Ambrose 1832-'3, '39; Strong, The- 
ron R 1842; Sheffield, Frederick U 1843; Sours, 
Philip 1843; Sanford, Isaac R 1844; Southard, 
Israel R 1847; Streeter, Benj H 1853; Sentell, 
Edward W 1858; Servis, James M 1860; Sher- 
man, Jefferson 1879-'80; Saxton, Charles T 1887- 
'9; Smith, Addison P 1903-'5. 

Tucker, Pomeroy 1837; Thomas, Eron N 1862; 
Thornton, Merritt 1869; Thistlethwaite, Jere- 
miah 1877. 

Vandenburg, John 1866; Valentine, Jackson 
1877-'8. 

Whipple, Russell 1824, '34 Wells, Annanias 
1831; Wylie, Wm D 1835; Wilson, James M 
1842, '50; Wisner, James T 1846, '55; Whitcomb, 
Loammi 1853; Wade, Willis G 1854; Wood, An- 
son S 1870-'l; Wells, Edward B 1872-'3: Weed, 



Oscar 1882-'3; Wood, William 1886; Whitcomb, 
Flynn 1892. 

Yeomans, Theron G 1851-'2; Yeomans, Lucien 
T 1872-'3. 

Pastors, M. E. Church; Personal Notes of a 
Few of the Earlier Preachers in Wolcott: — Rev. 
Joseph H. Lamb, one of the earliest, became a 
supernumery in 1888 and superanuated in 1893. 
He was endearingly called Father Lamb. 

Rev. E. E Bragdon, who followed Lamb to 
Wolcott (1844), died March 20, 1862. For years 
he was eminent as a Theological instructor. 

Rev Almon Chapin, who came in 1848, died at 
Sandy Creek Dec. 1, 1878. 

Rev. Lafayette D. White spent forty-one years 
in the active ministry, and served as Presiding 
Elder of four different districts. He died at 
Syracuse June 23, 1894. 

Pastor Isaac Turney died March 5, 1880. 

Rev. Loren L. Adkins died Oct. 18, 1881. 

Rev. George H. Salsbury died Nov. 27, 1863. 

Rev. Richard Redhead spent his latter years in 
Syracuse. 

Rev. Hiram Merrick Church afterwards 
preached at Trenton, N. Y. 

Rev. Wicks S. Titus afterwards resided at 
Syracuse. 

Rev. B. W. Hamilton was the first pastor in 
in the new church and he led a large revival. 
During his term of three years he married forty- 
one couple. He afterwards preached at Elmira, 
N. Y. 

Rev. Richard H. Clark near the close of his 
first year was permanently disabled for preach- 
ing. He bought the old parsonage where he 
lived until his death, March 22, 1894. 

Rev. E. M. Mills, graduate of Wesleyan Uni- 
versity, Middletown, Ct., received many honors 
from the Conference, was active in the Epworth 
League and received the degree Ph. D. from 
Syracuse University and D. D. from Wesleyan 
University. 

Rev. LaFayette Congdon from Wolcott went 
to Bradford, Pa., to preach. In evangelical 
work he was highly successful. During the 
course of his ministry he was successively passed 
through five Conferences. 

Presidents of the village and years of ser- 
vice: — 

Wolcott was incorporated Feb. 24, 1852. The 
names of those who have served as presidents 
prior to March 18, 1873, are not obtainable. 
The list from that time is as follows: 

Asa D. Kellogg 1873; Anson S. Wood 1874; 
Wm. W. Paddock 1875; George B. Curtis 1876; 
Thomas W. Johnson 1877; Martin E. Cornwell 
1878, '85-'7; David H. Mann 1879; Henry A. 
Graves 1880-'l, '84; Benham S. Wood 1882; 
Alanson Church 1888; F. S. Johnson 1889-'92; G. 
H. Northup 1893-'4, '97; T. F. Metcalf 1895; E. 
W. Newberry 1896; H. T. Kelly 1898; A. B. 
Thacker 1899; M. E. Cornwell 1900, 1905 (pres- 
ent incumbent) ; Dr. R. H. Watkins 1901-'4. 

First Village Officers — Wolcott village was 
incorporated Feb. 24, 1852 and re-incorporated 
in February, 1873. On March 18, 1873, the fol- 
lowing village officers were elected: — President, 
Asa D. Kellogg; Trustees, B. Franklin Knapp. 
Horace L. Dudley, Nelson Moore; Treasurer, 
Henry A. Graves; Collector, Hiram Silliman: 
Clerk, Wm. 0. Church. 



'GRIP'S*' HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



21 




EDWARD T. BROWN. 

Edward T. Brown of the firm of Horton & 
Brown, lawyers, is one of the best known of the 
younger members of the bar of Wayne county. 
Mr. Brown was born in Sterling, Cayuga county, 
Aug. 3, 1870, and was educated in the district 
school, the Red Creek Union school and the Uni- 
versity of Michigan. Studying law in the office 
of Wood & Horton he was admitted to the bar 
in 1899. In 1901 he associated himself in the 
practice of law in partnership with George S. 
Horton, under the firm name of Horton & 
Brown. The practice of this firm is quite ex- 
tensive throughout the county and a great deal 
of its business is in the settlement of estates, in 
which the firm has been usually prompt and ex- 
act. Mr. Brown is very active in local enter- 
prise and is always prepared to assist in pro- 
moting the general interests of the village. He 
is an active member of the Wolcott Board of 
Trade of which he is secretary. Horton & 



Brown, Republicans, both prominent in county 
politics, do a considerable legal business and in 
the many important cases they have handled 
they have been successful. Their knowledge of 
business and family connections in the northern 
part of the county have placed them in a favor- 
able position to look after the interests of those 
living at a distance who have business in this 
section which requii-es the assistance of attor- 
nies. Mr. Brown in November, 1901, married 
Marv, the daughter of W. W. Paddock of Wol- 
cott. 

Buttonwood Hotel — Settlers lodged in the 
Trunk of a Tree. -The early settlers in Wolcott 
came from New Malborough, Mass., and New 
Hartford, Ct , and a number of them drove their 
teams that distance, bringing along farm im- 
plements and household goods as well as seed for 
first planting. They had a fair road— those who 
came in the early part of the century— to Cayuga 
lake, where they crossed on a bridge then turned 
north via Lyons. From that place the first day's 
journey was to the Buttonwood Hotel, now 
Wayne Centre. This was simply a hollow tree, 
it is asserted as a fact, which had fallen and was 
capable of holding three families [Hiram Church 
in "Lake ShoreNews"]and was occupied by home 
seekers coming through in the spring of 1808. 

The three families who found protection in this 
strange shelter were those of Levi Wheeler, 
Osgood Church and Obadiah Adams, numbering 
14. Mr. Pierce, an old settler, informed Mr. 
Church that he had seen the log and thinks it 
was on the farm of Mr. Jeffers. 

Judges of Wayne county; in alphabetical or- 
der: date of taking office and terms served. 
[They were common pleas judges until 1846] : — 
Adams, Wm. H., May 12, 1846; Cowles, G. W., 
1864-'9, '74-'9, '86; Collins, T. W., 1880-'.'S; Hal- 
lett. J. W., April 19, 1825; Jerome, Hiram K., 
Jan. 29, 1840; Ketchum, Leander, 1852-9; Mid- 
dleton, G. H., June 1847; McLouth, C, 1869; 
Norton, L. M., 1870-'3; Palmer, O. H , April 
12, 1843; Sisson, Wm., Jan. 30, 1830; Sherwood, 
Lvman, 1860-'3; Sawver, S. N., 1898-1909; Tif- 
fanv. A. R., March 2^, 1S27. 









Whitford. Photo. 



EDWARD T. BROWN'S RESIDENCE. 



;rip'S" historical souvenir of wolcott. 







i> 






J. R. Waldorf of the firm of Fish & Waldorf 
began business in Wolcott twelve years ago, 
forming a co-partnership with E. B. Dowd in 
the grocery trade, the firm of Waldorf & Dowd 
then carrying on ti-ade in the place now occupied 
by Hammer. Six years later Mr. Waldorf bought 
in the grocery and drug lines with Dr. T. S. Fish 
under the present firm name, which since the 
death of Dr. Fish has continued unchanged, his 
estate holding an active partnership in the busi- 
ness, represented by Fanny, the daughter of Dr. 
Fish. 

Mr. Waldorf, born in Galen in 1849, all of his 
life a resident of Wayne county and for many 
years a buyer of produce and dealer in farm im- 
plements, enjoys a large acquaintanceship. Ja- 
cob Waldorf, his father, moved into the town of 
Huron in 1852 and no farmer in the town was 



better known or had a higher standing in jj^g 
community. 

Mr. J. R. Waldorf for some years handled 
apples for large New York and local buyers in 
Wolcott and Clyde and was regarded as a reliable 
inspector, protecting the interest of the seller as 
as well as the buyer. Since his residence in the 
village of Wolcott Mr. Waldorf has been identi- 
fied with public enterprise in many ways, lend- 
ing his influence and co-operation to the promo- 
tion of new industries where it might be possible 
to bring them here: and taking stock in such 
concerns as opened their books to local subscrip- 
tions. He is a director in the Wolcott creamery. 
He is also a member of the Presbyterian church 
in which society he is active. During three 
years he was superintendent of the Sunday 
school in the Huron Presbyterian church. Mr. 
Waldorf is prominent in the Maccabees of which 
he was commander for six years. He is treas- 
uter of the Engine Company and has been for 
three years past. Deeply interested in agricul- 
ture Mr. Waldorf owns a farm in Huron and 
possesses a half interest in the Jacob Waldorf 
homestead. In 1874 he married Nettie E., the 
daughter of John Stanley of Wayne Centre. 

Sheriffs ; Terms of Office [Alphabetical Or- 
der] :—Borrodaile, John, 1844-'6; Barnard, Geo. 
W.. 1847-'9; Bennett, John P., 1862-'4, '68-'70; 
Brownell. John N., 1871-'3; Clark, Thomas M.. 
1877-'9; Foster, Reuben H., 1826-'8; Foster, 
Cullen, 1829-'31; Ford, Charles H., (appointed to 
succeed Walter Thornton, deceased), 1894. 

Groat, Richard P., 1874-'6; Glen, Wm. J.. 
1880-'2; Hemenway, Truman, 1835-'7; Howell. 
Vernon R., 1883-'5; Knowles, George W.. 
(appointed to succeed C. E. Reed, deceased). 
1890-'l. 

Mann, Hiram, 1838-'40; Miles, Geo. R., 1901-'3; 
Nottingham Wm. P., 1856-'58; Palmeter, Calvin 
D.,1832-'4; Paddock, Geo. W., 1853-'5; Parshall. 
Rossman J., 1886-'8. 

Rogers, BartlettR., 1865-'7; Reed, Charles E.. 
1889-'90; Stout, Simon W., 1841-'3; Snedaker. 
Adrastus, 1859-'61; Sweezey, Geo. M., 1895-'7; 
Thornton, Walter, 1892-'3; Ward, Chester A., 
1850-'2; Wheeler, De Witt C, 1898-1900; Yeo- 
mans. Albert, 1904-'(5. 




"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OP WOLCOTT. 



Earliest Land Contracts in the Old Town of 
Wolcott; giving location by lots: — 

1808-June 16— Abram Bunce, lot 57; 100 acres. 
Robert Vantassel, lot 54; 1441^ acres. 

June 21— Alpheus Harmon, lots 169 and 170; 
113 and 114 acres respectively. 

June 22— Silas Munsell, lot 65; 1803;4 acres. 

Sept. 30 — Aaron Hoppin, lot 55; 165'., acres. 
Eliab Abbott, lot 376; 591., acres. 

Nov. 26-Glazier Wheeler, lot 52; 152J.2 acres. 
Consideration in each of above cases was $3.50 
an acre. 

1809-July 1-Obadiah Adams, lot 19; 106 
acres; price $3.50. 

Aug. 8— Thomas and Elijah Hancock, lot 104; 
50 acres; $3.75. 

Aug. 9-Wm. P. Newell, lot 144; 85 acres; $4. 

Aug. 12-Lucius Hibbard, lot 104; 47 3-10 
acres; $3.62. 

Aug. 13-Levi Wheeler, lot 45; llS'., acres. 

Sept. 15-Roger Sheldon, lot 22; 106 acres; 
$3.62. 



May 
$4.13. 

May 

June 

July 
acres ; 

July 
96 3-10 

Aug. 
$4.21. 

Aug. 
$4. 

Sept. 

Nov. 

Nov. 
150 acr 

Nov. 
$4. 

Dec. 
$4.12, 
acres : 



26-EHakim Tupper, lot 53; 20 acres; 

28— Jacob Watson, lot 56; 94 acres; $4.13. 
1-Zenas Wheeler, lot 44; 100 acres; $4. 
20— Giles Fitch, lot 352, north side; 963-10 
$4.24. 

30-Thaddeus Fitch, lot .3.52, south side 
acres; $4.24. 
9-Elihu SpBncer, lot 71 ; 156 4-10 acres 

17— Nathaniel Graves, lot 88; 188 acres 

4 -Ira Smith, lot 42; 59^4 acres; $4.50. 
5— Zenas Hyde, lot 26; SK^ acres; $4.06. 
11— Asa and Silas Town, lots 212 and 213 
es; $4. 
23— John R. Laraway, lot 343; 70 acres 

2— Nathan Parker, lot 98; 114-'', acres 
Sheldon and 0. Seymour, lot 70; 100 
.?4.25. 




Smith. Photo. FISH & WALDORF'S DRUG 

Sept. 26-Wareham Sheldon, lots 24 and 25 
142 4-10 acres; $3.62. 

Oct. 14— James Alexander, lot 411; 70 acres; 
$3.50. 

Oct. 21-Prentice Palmer, lot 62; 156i., acres: 
$4. 

Oct. 23-Thaddeus Collins, lot 141; 99 acres; 
$3.50. 

1810— Feb. 18— Jacob and Eli Ward, lot 122: 
100 4-10 acres; $3.50. 

July 26-E!iab Abbott, lot 43; 87 acres; $3.50. 

Dec. 25-Milton Fuller, lot 182; 98i., acres; $4 

1811-Jan. 11-Pender Marsh, lot 205; 50 
acres; $4. 

Jan. 30-Ephapras Wolcott, lot 160; 100 8-10 
acres; $4. 

March 1 — Stephen and Sylvanus Joiner, lot 
344 ; 105 acres : $4. 

April 1-Seth Shepherd, lot 197; 40 acres; $4. 

Aprils-Daniel Lounsbury, lot 206; 106 6-10 
acres; $4. Jonathan Wilson, lot 140, south half; 
•50 acres : $4. 

April 16— John Wade, lot 140 ; 100 1-7 acres ; 
$4. 



iND GROCERY STORE. 

1812- April 8— John Burns, lot 1.53; 108 6-10 
acres; $4.25. 

April 14 -Stephen Betts, lot 360; 100 acres: 
$4.25 

April 22— Abram Palmer, lot 140: 102 acres; 
$4. 

May 4 -Thomas Avery, lot 154; 103 acres- 
$4.25. 

June 12— Lorin Doolittle, lot 40; 65 5-10 acres; 
$4.50. 

June 24-Thomas Hale, lots 312 and 304; 200 
acres; $4. 

June 2.5— Demarkus Holmes, lot 187; 101 3-10 
acres; $4.32. 

Oct. 2-Noadiah Gillett, lot 132; 101 acres: $4. 

Oct 12-James Phillips, lot 92; 99 acres; $4.50. 

Nov. 13— Eli Wheeler, lot 188; 99 7-10 acres; 
$4. 

Nov. 14— Jacob Ward, lot 140; 50 acres; $4.25. 

Nov. 14— John Southwick, lot 191; 96'., acres; 
$4. 

Nov. 18— Elijah Howe, lot 167; 50 acres; $4. 

Dec. 29— Jonathan Wilson, lot 161; 31 acres; 
$4.25. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



Dec. 30— Jarvis Mudge, lot74; 55 acres; $3.50. 

1813— March 10— Asahel Gillett, lot 155; 50 
acres; $4.25. 

April 27— Ezra Knapp, lot 75; 59 7-10 acres 
$4.75. 

May 21— Elisha Plank, lots 385, 383 and 381 
467I4 acres; $4.25. 

May 30— Wm. Tindall (colored man), lot 291 
66 acres : 14. 

June 26— C. Avery and C. Andrews, lots 95 
and 77; 207 2-10 acres ; $4.38. 

July 1-Joseph B. Grandy, lot 201 : 101 4-10 
acres; $4. Simeon Van Auken, lot 126: 35 
acres. 

July 6— Robert Mason, lots 136 and 106; 215 
acres; $4. 

July 9— Christopher Martin, lot 114; 128 acres. 

Aug. 17— Asa Whitmore, lot 208; 100 6-10 



Seamans' Tragic Death. — A view of James 
F. Seamans in mid-air balancing on a rope in 
front of the Wolcott House appears on page 8, 
and his figure can be seen plainly with the aid of 
a reading glass. "Prof. S. J. Dare" was his 
professional cognomen. Some years after. May 
8, 1882, while performing at Flushing, L. I., the 
rope slipped and the sudden tightening of the 
slack threw him to the pavement. From the in- 
juries sustained he expired in thirty minutes. 

This was the second fall, the first being at 
Hollister, Cal., three months prior to his death. 
Mr. Seamans' home was at Wolcott where he 
was a member of the Masonic order, and a citi- 
zen in excellent standing. His widow was a 
Wolcott lady. Seamans became a prominent 
figure in his performances, at times travelling 
with Barnum and again giving exhibitions of his 
own. He was a temperate man, and had the 
esteem of all who knew him. 




.Smith. Photo. 



THE WOMAN'S MISSIONARY SOCIETY. PRESBYTERIAN CHI 



Group sitting at the right (left to riKht):-Mrs. Edward Wadsworth. Mr 
R. Stewart. Mrs. Thomas Henderson. Two standing: -Mrs. A. Wells, Mrs. 
Mrs. E. Lyttle. Mrs. L. Harder, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. W. Easton. At the left 
Mrs. Percy Harmon. 

The Central Group (from left to right) 



Clarence Brewster, Mrs. Edward Kellogg. Mrs 
lapp. Standing en Porch:— Mrs. John Murphy 
the Porch:-Mrs. W. Wager. Mrs. Dr. Horton 



-Lower Row— Mrs. E. Peck. 1 
Shaw. Mrs. Charlus Thomas. Mrs. Omar Curtis. Mrs. Wilder. 2d Row-M 
Mi.ss Marv Takotl. Mrs. Leslie Brockway, Mrs. Newton. Michel, Mrs. Jan 
Ida Cosa.i. Mrs, Giorei- Reed. Miss Nellie Curtis. Mrs. A. Brink. 4th Row 
son. Miss Lillian Fo.le. Rear Row (standing on the porch) 
Thacker. Mrs Boyil, Mrs. Clayton Johnson.. 



3 Hattie Watson. Mrs. H. Thacker, Mrs. Randall 
M. Clark. Mrs. Hattie Johnson. Mrs. C. T. Shaw. 
Brewster. 3d Row-Mrs. W. D. Campbell. Mrs. 
[rs. A. Harder, Mrs. O. C. Davis, Mrs. C. T. John- 
nham Wood, Mrs. James Cook. Mrs. Brandage, Mrs. Bert 



Aug. 26— Thomas Hall, lot 304; 25 acres; 
.$4.28. 

Sept. 11— Samuel Haskell, lot 163; 102 acres; 
$4.90. 

Oct 1.5— Charles Sweet, lot 344; .50 acres; $4. 

Famous Giants— Goliah, Palestine, 11 feet 
high; (ialbara, Rome, 9 feet, 9 inches; John 
Middleton, England, 9 feet, 3 inches; "Freder- 
ick's Swede," Sweden, 8 feet, 4 inches; Cujanus, 
Finland, 7 feet, 9 inches; Gilly, Tyrol, 8 feet, 1 
inch; Patrick Cotter, Cork, 8 feet, 7 inches; 
Chang Gow, Pekin, 7 feet, 8 inches. 



The First Attorneys admitted to practice in 
the county of Wayne at the Court of Common 
Pleas (first session) held at the Presbyterian 
church, Lyons, Tuesday May 27, 1823, Judges 
Tallmadge, Sisson, Arne and Monax on the bench, 
were the following^ 

Wm. H. Adams, Frederick Smith, Orville L. 
Holly, Wm. J. Hough, Graham H Chapin, Hugh 
Jameson, John Fleming, Jr., Wm. Wells, Alex- 
ander R. Tiffany, Thomas P. Baldwin, Charles 
F. Smith, Edward N. Coe, David Hudson. Jesse 
Clark, Nathan Parke, Lansing B. Mizner, Jared 
Willson, Lemuel W. Ruggles, Mark H. Sibley, 
John Burton. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




FLETCHER S. JOHNSON. 

Fletcher S. Johnson for about thirty years 
was one of the best known and most highly re- 
garded of the Wolcott business men, contempo- 
raneous with such men of character and influence 
—all of whom passed away within the same brief 
period— as Hermen C. Creque, Jeremiah Sebring, 
William H. Thacker, A. R. Tucker, Harlow C. 
Merrill, Chauncey P. Smith, Abijah W. Moore, 
William H. Thomas, G. Melvin Knapp and Dr. 
Edwin H. Draper. 

Mr. Johnson ranked high as a citizen whose 
unimpeachable character, honor, sincerity, earn- 
estness and Christian life, was ever an example 
inviting others to follow the way he had consist- 
ently followed. Venturing largely in trade and 
enterprise Mr. Johnson was conspicuously suc- 
cessful; and although his mind was fully occu- 
pied with business cares he found time to devote 
much of his energy in doing good to the commu- 
nity, giving freely of his means to calls for char- 



ity and devoting both personal attention and 
funds to religious purposes. He was a deacon 
and trustee in the Presbyterian church and for 
eighteen years labored arduously as superin- 
tendent of that Sunday school, which position 
he occupied at the time of his death. Mrs. John- 
son taught the infant class for about thirty 
years and she was a constant inspiration to her 
husband in that field as in all others. 

Mr. Johnson was born in Wolcott on May 11, 
1840. His first business venture was that of 
partner in the drug business with Samuel H. 
Foster. They were together two or three years 
in a store on the present site of the electric light 
plant. 

On December 24, 1861, he married Miss Hattie, 
the daughter of Spencer Chapin, a prominent 
farmer of Huron, and during two years he en- 
gaged in farming. Then he entered into busi- 
ness with Martin E. Cornwell. It was while 
they were in company that the big fire swept 
the north side of Main street cleaning them and 
many others out. Together they erected the 
block in which each afterwards engaged sepa- 
rately in business. The Cornwell store is that 
now occupied by Fish & Waldorf, and Mr. John- 
son's place of business for many years later is 
now that of Johnson & King. The members of 
the latter firm were clerks with him whom he 
finally took into partnership. They are Clarence 
E. Johnson and Fred W. King. 

In 1886 he formed a co-partnership with Gard- 
ner H. Northup in the evaporated apple business, 
which became one of the largest in the handling 
of fruit in the state. It is said that during the 
busiest period of their activity more fruit was 
shipped from Wolcott in a single year than from 
any other place. Messrs. Northup and Johnson's 
association in this enterprise continued down to 
the time of the latter's death, although for a 
year prior thereto Mr. Johnson's health did not 
permit him to actively engage in the business. 

Speaking of his business relations with Mr. 
Johnson for about eighteen years, Mr. Northup 
at a memorial service held after the death of his 
partner, said that no articles of agreement were 
ever drawn up between them and that nothing 
save a verbal bargain held them together. As 
a business man, Mr. Northup said, there were 
not many men with whom he would venture into 
partnership on such terms. 




Smith, Photo. 



MRS. FLETCHER S. JOHNSON'S RESIDENCE. 



26 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



In the early part of January, 1901, Mr. John- 
son, by the advice of his physicians went to 
Clifton Springs Sanitarium accompanied by Mrs. 
Johnson. But a short time after, Jan. 19, 1901, 
Mr. Johnson died from an attack of apoplexy. 
The next day, accompanied by the widow and 
her daughter and family — Dr. and Mrs. C. H. 
Towlerton of Lyons — the remains were brought 
to Wolcott. 

On the following Wednesday the funeral was 
held at the family home in this village and the 
remains were buried in Leavenworth Cemetery. 

That the death of Mr. Johnson was felt to be 
a great loss to the community was shown by the 
general attendance at the services of business 
men and others and the general closing of places 
of business in the village during the hour of the 
funeral. 

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had one son who died 
when eight years old. Mrs, Dr. Towlerton, 
Nellie Johnson, was regarded by all as an own 
daughter. There is only one grandchild living, 
the son of Dr. and Mrs. Towlerton, who is 



Genealogy of Wayne County — All of this 
territory was first included in Tryon county 
which was erected in New York province before 
the revolution, central and western New York 
not then being opened to white settlements. 
Giving the dates of the erection of the several 
counties and towns out of which the territory 
was finally whittled down to Wayne county, 
may be figuratively stated as the genealogy of 
Wayne county: — 

Wayne county; erected April 12, 1823; from 
Ontario and Seneca counties. 

Ontario; erected Jan. 27, 1789; from Mont- 
gomery county; included western New York 
west of the foot of Seneca lake. 

Seneca; erected March 24, 1804; from Cayuga. 

Cayuga; erected March 8, 1799; from Onon- 
daga. 

Onondaga; erected March 5, 1794; from Her- 
kimer. 

Herkimer; erected Feb. 16, 1791; from Mont- 
gomery. Montgomery substituted for Tryon 
April 2, 1784. 




.^iinlli. I'lint.,, MAIN ST.. NORTH SIDE, LCMH 

named after his grandfather, Fetcher Johnson 
Towlerton, and is now ten years old. 

Lakes of New York State— Height above tide. 
—Avalanche, Essex Co., 2,900 ft. ; Golden, Essex 
Co., 2,851: Henderson, Essex Co., 1,9.36; San- 
ford, Essex Co., 1,826: Eckford, Hamilton Co., 
1,791: Fulton Chain (Sixth, Seventh and Eighth 
Lakes), Hamilton Co., 1776; Racket, Hamilton 
Co., 1,745; Fork-ed, Hamilton Co., 1,704; New- 
comb, Essex Co., 1,698: Cattaraugus, Cattarugus 
Co., 1,665; Fulton Chain (Third, Fourth and 
Fifth Lakes), Herkimer Co., 1,645; Long, Her- 
kimer Co., 1,575; Cranberry, St. Lawrence Co., 
1,570; Upper Saranac, Franklin Co., 1,567; Tup- 
pers, Franklin Co., 1,545; Rich, Essex Co., 1,545, 
Lower Saranac, Frankhn Co., 1,527; Pleasant, 
Hamilton Co., 1,500: Chautauqua, Chautauqua 
Co., 1,291; Tully, Onondaga Co., 1,200: Schuy- 
ler, Otsego Co., 1,200; Otsego, Otsego Co., 1,193: 
Cazenovia, Madison Co., 900; Skaneateles, Onon- 
daga Co., 860; Crook-ed, Yates Co., 718; Owasco, 
Cayuga Co., 670; Canandaigua, Ontario Co., 668; 
Seneca, 447: Cayuga, 387; Oneida, 369; Onon- 
daga, 361: Ontario, 232; Champlain, 93. 



INC WEST FltllM IlKAl'ER ST. 

Tryon; erected March 12, 1722; from Albany. 

Albany; erected Nov. 1, 1683; one of the ten 
counties first erected in New York province. 
The other were New York, Dutchess, Kings, 
Orange, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk. Ulster and 
Westchester. 

Fire of 1876. — On the evening of August 26, 
1876, a fire broke out in the upper story of Pad- 
dock & Tuller's hardware store and swept a part 
of the east Side of Mill street, north from Main 
street. Six business firms were burned out. 
Paddock & Tuller's building stood near the cor- 
ner of Main street. Next— on the corner — was 
the small shoe shop of Calvin Moore. Going 
north from Paddock & Tuller's were the build- 
ings occupied, respectively, by Fish & Peck, 
druggists, U. G. Brewster, flour and feed, F. J. 
Phillips, tin shop, and Curtiss & Knapp, foundry. 
On the second floor of Paddock & Tuller were 
Beach & Newberry, undertakers. Mr. and Mrs. 
Stiles lived in the rear. All of the above named 
were burned out. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



27 




CLASS. BAPTIST CHURCH. 



MISS BESSIE FISH'i 

Lower Row (left to right) :— Grace 
ley. Ethel Miller. Upper Row:-01ivi 
Metcalf. Laura Hall. 

Supervisors of the Town of Wolcott: — Os- 
good Church 1810-' 13; Adonijah Church 1814- 17; 
G. L. Nicholas 1818: Thomas Armstrong 1818 
(served a part of his predecessor's term) ; Jesse 
Mathews 1819; George B. Brinlverhoff 1820; 
Norman Sheldon 1821 -'2, '24 '5; Arad Talcott 
1822: David Arne Jr. 1826-'8, '36; Daniel Roe 
Jr. 1829-'.34; Abel Lyon 1835, 37-'9: James M. 
Wilson 1840-'l, '46, '50, '52-'3, '58-'9; Wm. O. 
Wood 1842-'4, '47-'9, '62-'5; Aaron H. Boylan 
1845; E. L. Leavenworth 1851, '54; W. J. Pres- 
ton 1855; John Boylan 1856; Andrew Preston 
1857: Thaddeus W. Collins 1860; Amos Nash 
1861: Edwin H. Draper 1866-'70, '72-'7; James 
W. Snyder 1871: Marion Conklin 1878-'81 : Myron 
Wood 1882-4, '87-'9; George W. Snyder 
1885-'6: George R. Miles 1890, '94-'7; Alanson 
Church 1891- '3: Theodore P. Metcalf 1898: Geo. 
W. BrinkerhofT 1899-1902; Charles Madan 
1903- '.5. 

The Civic Club was organized June 27, 1904, 
at the home of Mrs. G. H. Northup by Miss 
Harriet May Mills of Syracuse. The officers 
elected were Mrs. J. E. Lawrence, president; 
Mrs. 0. M. Curtis, 1st vice- 
president; Mrs. E.H. Kel- 
logg, 2d vice-president, Ma- 
ry Talcott, secretary. Mis 
G. H. Northup, treasuiei, 
Mrs. W. H. Thacker, auditoi 
The study of Civics has been 
in charge of Principals L. H. 
Cai-ris and G. B. Gurley of 
the High school. The meet- 
ings are held fortnightly at 
the homes of the members. 
Addresses have been made 
before the club by Mrs. Ella 
Hawley Crossett, State Pres- 
ident of Woman's Suffrage 
Association; Principal Gur- 
ley; Rev. J. L. Gillard; Rev. 
Charles R. Allison; Rev. 
Jennie Pitts; Rev. J. S. Nas- 

'.^'''^^i Mr. Edward T Brown; Lower Row (left to right):~Mrs. George Reed, Miss Lydia Kellogg. Miss Mary 

Mr. A. C. Brink; and others. Tallctu MrrHenry Paddofk, Mrs. Amos Nish. Upper Row-Mrs. Enos Reed, Mrs 
The society motto is "The Clark Lefevre. Mrs. Hursey. Rev. Mrs. Pitts. Mrs. James Cook. 



Noblest Motive is 
the Public Good." 
County Clerics; 

Terms of those Who 
have Held that Po.'ii- 
tion, [Alphabetical 
Order]: Barber Jr., 
John, 1826-'31; Bix- 
by,AbelJ,,1879-'81; 
C u y 1 e r , John L. , 
1832-'4; Chapman, 
Daniel. 1842-'6; Col- 
lins, Thaddeus W., 
1867- '9; Cuyler, Led- 
yardS., 1894- (pres- 
ent incumbent). 

Foster, Cullen, 
1835-'9; Gavitt, 
Saxon B., 1852-'7; 
Gates, Alfred H., 
1873-'5; Hawley, 
James, 1840-'l; 
Lyon, Lyman, 18.58-'63; Mason, Clark, 1864-'6; 
McGonigal, 1882-'4. 

Peacock, Fred, 1891-'3; Richardson, Israel J., 
1824-'5; Redfiekl, Albert F., 1870-'2; Sweeting, 
Volney H.. 1876-'8; Thomas, Byron, 1885-'7; 
Williams, Alexander B., 1847-'.51; Wells, Edward 
B., 1888-'90. 

Earliest Land Owners in the Village of Wol- 
cott:— Jonathan Melvin in 1807 purchased of the 
Pultenay estate lot No. .50, 500 acres ; as did also 
Adonijah Church in 1807, lot 48, and Osgood 
Church in 1808, lot 49. Obadiah Adams in 1810 
purchased of Mr, Melvin 40 acres of land on the 
east side of New Hartford ftreet and the north 
side of Main street from Lake avenue to the 
creek. This stream is now covered by Main 
street. These four men were the first to open 
Wolcott village for settlement. 

The First Death in the town of Wolcott after 
it was erected was that of a son of George Sal- 
mon. 




THE w. c. T. u. 



-OUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




POSTMASTER AND E. F. D. CARRIERS. 

A. C. Brink, Postmaster: Lee Dowd at the left and Eugene Seymour at the right 
Standing (left to right): Mr. Wicks. Thomas Curr. Wallace Phillips. Charles Plumley 
Oliver Bennett. "Doc." 

The First Town Meeting in Wolcott was 
held in Jonathan Melvin's grist mill in the vil- 
lage of Wolcott, April 3, 1810. The town offi- 
cers elected were as follows:— Supervisor, Osgood 
Church; Clerk, Adonijah Church; Assessors, 
Obadiah Adams, Osgood Church and John N. 
Murray; Overseers of the Poor, Ezra Knappand 
Jesse Matthews; Highway Commissioners, 
Isaac Shook, Peres Bardwell and Noah Starr; 
Town Viewers, Levi Wheeler and John Grandy; 
Overseer.s of Highways, Glazier Wheeler, Wm. 
P. Newell, James Alexander and Roger Sheldon. 



Principal Sum- 
mits in the State.— 
Mount Marcey, Essex 
Co., 5,467 feet high; 
Dix Peak, Essex Co., 
5 200; Mount Mcln- 
t\re, Essex Co., 5,183; 
Mount McMartin, Es- 
^ex Co., 5,000; Mount 
Sandanoni, Essex Co., 
5,000; Mount Nipple- 
top, Essex Co., 4,900; 
Mount Whiteface, Es- 
sex Co., 4,900; Mount 
Pharaoh, Essex Co., 
4 500; Mount Tailor, 
Hamilton Co., 4,500: 
Mount Seward, Frank- 
lin Lo., 4,100: Mount 
Emmons, Hamilton 
Co., 4,000: Mount 
(_iain, Warren Co., 
^000; Round Top, 
Gieene Co., 3,804: 
High Peak, Greene Co., 
3,718; Pine Orchard, 
Gieene Co., 3,000: 
Mount Pisgah, Dela- 
ware Co., 3,400: Rock- 
land Mount, Sullivan 
Co., 2,400; Ripley Hill, 
Onondaga Co., 1,983: 
Walnut Hill, Sullivan 
Co., 1,980; Mount Top- 
pin, Cortland Co.. 
1,700; Pompey Hill, Onondaga Co., 1,743: Bea- 
con Hill, Dutchess Co., 1,685; Old Beacon, Put- 
nam Co., 1,471; Bull Hill, Putnam Co., 1,586: 
Anthony's Nose, Putnam Co., 1,228; Butter Hill, 
Orange Co., 1,529; Crow's Nest, Orange Co., 
1,418; Bear Mount, Orange Co., 1,350. 

Famous Dwarfs— Count Borowlaski, War- 
saw, 39 inches high; Tom Thumb (Charles S. 
Stratton) New York, 31 inches; Mrs. Tom 
Thumb, New York, 32 inches; Che-Mah, China, 
25 inches; Lucia Zarate, Mexico, 20 inches; Gen. 
eral Mite, New York, 21 inches. 




standing (left to right) :-Clarc 
Clark. W. H. Brown. N. C. Vought, 
Madan, Krinl Milliman. John Merril 



WOLCOTT H. & L. CO. NO. 



Fred Baker. D. E. Benn 



I. J. Foster. C. Palmer. A. 
. Lawrence Prevost. L. L. 
, George Silliman. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



29 



New Leavenworth Debaters. —In Decem- 
ber, 1897, a few of the High school young men 
conceived the idea of forming a debating society 
for the purpose of training its members in thinl:- 
ing and speaking. Shortly thereafter they met, 
drew up their constitution, a few by-laws, etc., 
and bound themselves by a solemn oath to do all 
in their power to make the undertaking a success. 
It was decided that any boy taking at least one 
academic study might become a member by a 
two-thirds vote of the society. 

At once the society sprang into popularity as 
it has since remained. Nearly every boy con- 
nected himself therewith and very soon the lead- 
ing questions of the day were being ably and 
eloquently discussed. 

Thus the society developed and grew until 1903 
when for good reasons it was discontinued for 
one year. 

In October, 1904, it was re-organized with 
forty-three names on its membership roll. This 
has been the banner year in its history. 



and Mrs. Edson Benedict deeded the society the 
present site of the church on Cemetery street, 
and also the site for parsonage. The trustees at 
that time were Jeremiah Sebring, Soloman 
Loveless, and Lansing Millington. The church 
edifice was erected between the years of 1860-'68. 
As soon as the building was roofed and enclosed 
it was seated temporarily and used for church 
purposes. Revivals were held before the com- 
pletion of the building, which added materially 
to the strength of the society. The society had 
seasons of great prosperity, also many severe 
reverses but struggled bravely through them. 
The present pastor, Rev. Jennie I. Pitts, is serv- 
ing the church for the fifth year, and has been 
successful in building up the society, and has 
raised funds for extensive repairs which are in 
progress. The building has been lowered several 
feet, rooms on first floor taken out, the old tower 
will be removed and a corner tower added. A 
furnace will be put in. The interior is being i-e- 
modeled. The windows will be replaced by 



E^m^mM 



^' m^ 






Pho 



NEW LEAVENWl. 



DEBATING SOCIETY. 
J. Kn 



Top Row (left to right):— Willie Lynch. B. 
ner. Ed. Pitts. Leaton Seele.v. Ralph Weeks, Geoi-ge Catchpole. 

Thomas, Halsev Lovejoy, Ross Tibbitts, Willie Jones, Earl Horton, Roy Calhoun. Marion Beach. Hibbard, 

Middle Row (left to right): -George Van Vleck, Roy Schenck, Shattuck, Harry WoodrufT. Charles Lvttle, 

Ned Kellogg, Flovd Conklin, Merwin Boynton, Lower Row (left to right):-Willis Rathbun, Claude Mitchell, 
Leon Bidwell, Earl) Brown, Porter Brockway, Clayton Seaber, Arthur Fish. 



From its organization it has had the hearty 
support of the school principals, especially of the 
latter two, Mr, Carris and Mr, Gurley. 

The Methodist Protestant Chuich was or- 
ganized March 18, 1857, at the residence of 
Lansing Millington. The first trustees were E. 
H. Nichols, H. S. Cornwell and Lansing Milling- 
ton. A class formed consisted of Mr. and Mrs. 
H. S. Cornwell, Mr. and Mrs. Lansing Milling- 
ton, Mr. and Mrs. Ephraim Nichols, Mr. and 
Mrs. John Cook and Walter Paddock. Rev. I. 
H. Hogan was first pastor. An unused Univer- 
salist church building on New Hartford street, 
known as "the old stone church," was rented 
and occupied by the society for a few years. 
During the winter following organization, a re- 
vival was held, which resulted in an addition of 
•over seventy members. On March 1, 1864, Mr. 



stained glass; a bell hung and the entire build- 
ing will be redecorated and painted ; also new 
furniture added. The work is expected to be 
completed during the present year (1905). The 
Ladies' Aid Society is doing efficient work in the 
cause. The present trustees are E. N. Brink, 
T. J. Reed and A. Miller; class leader, A. Mil- 
ler; S. S. Supt., Edwin B. Pitts. Following is 
a Hst of pastors from organization:— J. H. Hogan, 
N. R. Swift, M. Prindle, Chas. Smith, E, Withey, 
C. W. Beardsley, J. H. Richards, H. F. Snow, 
A. R. Seaman, T. Dodd, L. Smith. M. L. Baker, 
L. J. Cooper, H. L. Bowen, A. F. Beebe, W. H. 
Tryon, H- Vre, H. Troop, W. McChesney, W. 
H. Church, T. Kiesinger, Libbie Van Horn, L. 
J. Reed, Jennie I. Pitts. 

The First Postmaster in the town of Wol- 
cott was Dr. David Arne. 




GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



PITTS. 

Reminiscences Describing the Old Mills and 
Olmstead's Distillery: also the Gulfs that Cut 
Across Two Main Streets; The Bursting of 
Cannon in a Crowd; White's Hotel; the Swim- 
ming Hole. 

John W. Olmstead, an old resident, was born 
in Wolcott July 25, 1824. "Jesse Olmstead, my 
father," he said, "had a saw mill and distillery, 
the first distillery in the town, and it stood on 
the creek southeast of the village, one-half mile 
from New Hartford street on a road leading 
hence to the mill. I have seen the old mud sills 
of the dam there in the stream in recent 
years Farmers brought in their grain, 
a bushel or half a bushel at a time and 
took home a jug of whiskey. There was 
a big copper kettle for mash and a stone 
arch to set it in. During cold weather 
my father would run through the distil- 
lery twelve bushels of grain a day. His 
father, Roger Olmstead, came from 
New Hartford, Ct, in 1810, in company 
with several others, including the Mat- 
thews, Merrills, Saxtons and Moores. 
Jesse was then 14 years old. Both grist 
and saw mills down the stream in the 
village were running when the distillery 
was built and furnished the lumber for 
building it. Logs were laid across the 
stream above the falls and teams crossed 
over what is now the mill pond, then a 
shallow, fordable stream. A hollow log 
conducted the water to the wheel in the 
mill. I remember well seeing the old 
log house on the left side of Mill street 
which was put up to house the men en- 
gaged by Melvin in building his mills. 

TRUCKING WITH OXEN. 

"Supplies were then brought into this 
section by ox teams in the winter, as 



the streams in the summer were not easily ford- 
able. 

"My father sold his distillery to his brother in 
the spring of 1835 and moved down to the old 
furnace village where my uncle Uriah Sey- 
mour was then a partner in the blast furnace. 
A few years later he returned to the village of 
Wolcott and lived here. His brother moved the 
distillery apparatus over to Red Creek. 

"I recollect the old mill standing on the site of 
the Rumsay mill and I remember when a boy 
seeing what was left of the old blast furnace in 
the gulf. It had been abandoned and the busi- 
ness taken down to Furnace village. The ore 
there proved worthless. It was too full of salt 
and they didn't know how to flux it. So they 
were compelled to look farther until they found 
a bed of good ore over near Red Creek. Uriah 
Seymour and Levi Hendrick when they ran the 
blast furnace, each put up a nice brick dwelling 
at Furnace village for his family. Seymour sold 
out to Isaac Leavenworth and went to Canada 
to run a blast furnace. 

ERECTION OF EARLY STORES. 

"The first store that appears in my memory 
was Underhil's, on the northeast corner of Main 
and Mill streets. He afterwwrds moved further 
up Main street. I can see the old log pump in 
the porch of the old Wolcott house and the horse 
shed that stood across the street, on the present 
site of Lyttle & Turpenning's store. Near the 
hotel were a shoemaker's shop and a cooper shop, 
each a story and a half hiifh. 

"Where the Northup & Johnson block stands 
the gulf entered Main street from the north cut- 
ting across the street where the stream flowing 
through it was spanned by an old wooden bridge. 
South of Main street this gulf formed a junction 
with a gulf which crossed New Hartford street 
about where Sax's livery stable now stands, and 
in New Hartford street a bridge also spanned 
the stream in the bottom of the gulf. 

PLUNGED INTO THE GULF. 
"Where the Arcade building was erected on 




•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



Main street the sidewalk stood up in the air 12 
or 15 feet and was protected by a railing. About 
opposite that point, two ladies in a buggy were 
dumped from the road down into the gulf and 
their escape from death was miraculous. One 
of them held her infant in her arms, and a little 
girl also was in the wagon. The horse backed 
them off the embankment. They were found in 
the bottom of the heap. The babe was protect- 
ed from injury in its mother's arms. The moth- 
er was bruised about the head. The wagon in 
some way fell so as to prevent the little girl 
from being injured. 

"When I was 9 or 10 years old Tompkins put 
up a story and a half building for his dry goods 

"Between Tompkins' and the hotel Baldwin & 
Gilbert next ei-ected a tw ■ story building and 
Deacon Lazalere had a harness shop up stairs^ 
Baldwin & Gilbert manufactured and sold wool 
and fur hats and caps. Then, next between 
Tompkins' store and the hat and cap store, one 



a stuck hog but it proved to be more of a fright 
than an injury. 

"My father and I ran the old White Hotel five 
years. We bought it from Mr. Merrill. We 
sold out to a woman named Beach. Millington, 
was one of the builders of the Hotel and he 
and his partner, whose name I have forgotten, 
ran it for a time. It was built about seventy 
years ago. I ran the stage line from here to 
Rochester about fifty years ago. I had it for 
two years prior to the opening of the railroad 
through Clyde. When that was built I sold out. 
The line was run three or four years after that 
but did not pay, as the railroad took the business. 

"Down the creek forty to sixty rods below the 
site of the old blast furnace was a fuUing mill 
where they made rolls of cloth for the country 
around here. I went there when a boy to get 
rolls made from the wool my folks left there. 
The creek was dammed at that point which, 
sheltered by the trees, made a famous swimming 
hole, where us boys spent many pleasant hours. 



m 



^Z"- 



SkX 



^•^-:l 4. 



OLD LEAVENWORTH INSTITUTE. 

named Low built a long frame building for a 
shoe shop which stood a number of years. 

FOURTH OF JULY EXPLOSION. 

"I remember the bursting of two cannon in 
this village on a fourth of July occasion. I was 
marshal of the parade on that day and was rid- 
ing by the Presbyterian church (the old frame 
structure near the arcade) when one of the can- 
non exploded, and a piece sailed over my head 
into the crowd in front of the church. It struck 
an old pump and drove it down into the well, first 
landing upon a scaffold— the building was then 
being erected— and falling on to the pump. No 
one in the crowd was hit. The cannon stood in 
the road pointing into the gulf. Later in the 
day they fired another cannon up on the green 
and that exploded. A piece went through the 
Baptist church over the pulpit. Another piece 
struck the legs of Leavenworth's horse glancing 
so as to injure them severely though not to cut 
them in two. Another splinter grazed a man's 
throat cutting a small gash and he ran into the 
street crying 'My throat is cut.' He bled like 



This fulling mill was moved up to the site of 
what was afterwards the lower grist mill that is 
now abandoned." 

First Grand Jurors Empaneled in Wayne 
County.— John Adams, Abner F. Lakey, Wm. D. 
Wiley, John Barber, Jr., Lemuel Spear, David 
Warner, Ephraim Green, Wm. Voorhees, James 
Mason, Abel Wyman, David Russell, Cephas 
Moody, Stephen Sherman, Wm. Wilson, Wm. 
Plank, Alexander Beard, Jacob Butterfield, Dan- 
iel Chapman, Jeremiah H. Pierce, Freeman 
Rogers, Newell Taft, Pliney Foster and Joseph 
Lane. 

Peru County — An agitation for the erection, 
of the county to be called Peru was started at a 
special meeting held June 11, 1814 and was then 
abandoned. The proposition was to include in 
the new county the towns of Wolcott, Galen, 
Savannah, Sterling, now in Cayuga county, Cato 
and Hannibal now in Oswego county and Lysan- 
der, now in Onondaga county. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




G. H. NORTHUP, 
Gardner H. Northup, president of the Board 
of Trade of Wolcott, a large buyer and shipper 
of fruit and an extensive lumber dealer, has 
been a resident and active business man in Wol- 
cott since 1872. And Wolcott, as well as Mr. 
Northup, has profited through his coming here, 
for while he like all other successful business 
men has been accumulating property, the village 
has been acquiring new industries that distrib- 
ute considerable sums of money to its merchants 
and for labor, because it was inspired to seek 
new enterprises through the efforts of Mr. 
Northup. To promote the public welfare in 
Wolcott, as in any other place, requires a leader 
—a man who can give the time to it and in whose 
judgment the community has confidence. It 



seems to be a pleasure to Mr. Northup to do this. 
No history of Wolcott could explain how the vil- 
lage came to have a canning factory, a creamery, 
a pickle factory and a National Bank without 
reference to the part Mr. Northup has taken in 
getting them here. Desiring to see the village 
grow in weakh and population and realizing that 
such could be accomplished only through the 
united action of the business men, Mr. Northup 
accepted the presidency of the Board of Trade 
and has given the duties of that position close 
attention. His aim and habits are constructive 
and his disposition is to help others. He has 
established new business for himself and has 
erected business blocks and residences besides 
otherwise investing prudently in safe enterprises 
that have greatly increased the volume of 
money circulated in Wolcott and the surrounding 
country. 

Mr. Northup was born in Phoenix, Oswego 
Co., N. Y., .52 or 53 years ago, the son of Gard- 
ner H. Northup whose family was one of those 
that settled in that section at an early day. Mr. 
Northup, ^enior, was one of the proprietors of 
the earliest large saw mill on the west side of 
the river, for some years, in company with John 
Wall. He was a prominent business man and 
member of the Congregational church of that 
village, and through his marriage and his busi- 
ness relations he was closely connected with the 
influential and wealthy Phoenix families of over 
a half century ago. 

About the time his son, Gardner H. Northup, 
the- subject of this sketch, attained his majority 
there was preaching in the Congregational 
church at Phoenix a clergyman of high standing, 
the Rev. Edgar Perkins. His two daughters to- 
day preside over two fine homes in Wolcott. 
They are Mrs. Gardner H. Northup and Mrs. 
Charles Thomas. Young Northup having come 
to Wolcott in the fall of 1872 and started in busi- 
ness here, returned to Phoenix the following 
year, and on October 1, 1873, married Marion P. 
Perkins. They have one daughter, Ruth. Their 
home on Main street is one of the prettiest* in 




Smith, Photo. 



H. NORTHUP'.'? RE.'^IDENCE. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



the village— the old Leavenworth homestead 
which Mr. Northup has improved at considerable 
expense. 

Mr. Northup on coming to Wolcott estab- 
lished a lumber business on the west side of 
Lake avenue, near the subway, and erected the 
house which is now E. H. Reed's residence. 
Subsequently he bought the lumber yard of 
Cornwell & Strait where since then he has car- 
ried on the business. On January 1, 1899, he 
toolc into partnership Clayton Johnson, the firm 
now being known as the G. H. Northup Lum- 
ber Co. At one time Mr. Northup was en- 
gaged in the wholesale of lumber and shingles 
with F. A. Prevost. Nearly a quarter of a cen- 
tury ago he established a lumber business at So- 
dus where for six years he was a partner with 
the Rev. Edgar Perkins. At Cato he also start- 
ed the same business and was there a partner of 
C. S. Morrill to whom he sold out the yard at 
that place. 

About 1886 Fletcher S. Johnson became Mr. 
Northup's partner in handling fruit and togeth- 
er they made a marked success, becoming, dur- 
ing the time they were together, the most wide- 



Reminiscences of Stage Coach Days in the 

'40's; Perils of the Drivers: Incidents of the 

Old White Hotel:— 

Amos Nash, an old driver on the Butterfield 
stage line, is now seventy-eight years old. 
When a lad, in 1846, he came to Wolcott from 
Williamson. He married Mary E., the eldest 
daughter of Nelson W. Moore, who lived to be 
ninety-four years old and who from 1860 to '67 
ran the grist mill here. Moore's business con- 
temporaries were Jedediah Wilder, Roswell Ben- 
edict and Messrs. Galloway and Churchill who at 
different times owned carding machines in Wol- 
cott. For fifty-three years Amos Nash and his 
wife have lived in their present home. 

"After coming to Wolcott," said Mr. Nash, 
"I was employed on the J. P. Butterfield stage 
line running through Wolcott between Oswego 
and Rochester. Butterfield was a Wolcott man 
who carried on the old Chester Button farm and 
ran the White Hotel east of the creek, which 
was the stopping place for the stages and where 
they changed horses. His livery barns were on 
the'present site of the Metcalf stables. 




G. H. NORTHUr S 1 

ly known firm in that line in the state. [See F. 
S. Johnson's sketch.] They operated a number 
of evaporators and were in fact the pioneers en- 
gaged in handling evaporated fruit, especially 
apples, to any considerable extent At one time 
they handled green as well as evaporated apples 
and their business was second to none other of 
the kind in New York. In 1890 they erected the 
large warehouse where Mr. Northup still con- 
tinues the fruit business. The big steel front 
business block occupied by Thacker Bros. & Co., 
and Mrs. Knapp, the miUiner, was erected by 
them about ten years ago. 

Mr. Northup individually constructed other 
business blocks, notably the Arcade Block. He 
is a director in the First National Bank of Wol- 
cott. Among those who rendered the most val- 
uable assistance in securing the new postoflSce 
was Mr Northup. 

A trustee and elder in the Presbyterian church 
society he is one of its most active supporters, 
and had much to do with securing the erection 
of the new building for that society. He is well 
informed, and has traveled considerably. 



ROUTE OF COACHES. 

"During seasons of bad roads the coaches were 
drawn by four horses, coming up from Oswego 
and back the next day. Stopping at the White 
Hotel to change horses they passed on down Mill 
street into Main and then on out of the village 
along the west road over to Port Glasgow, now 
Resort, which we then call the Bay Bridge. 
There were two hotels there, one conducted by 
a man named Ward, which was burned From 
there the line ran along west to Irondequoit and 
into Rochester. The first relay after leaving 
Oswego was Fair Haven; then Wolcott, Sodus 
and Webster, Sometimes, on good roads, we 
drove on to Williamson or Alton for change of 
teams. The coaches were the heavy Concord 
thoroughbrace style swinging on straps and 
carrying from twelve to sixteen passengers. 
The nearest railroad to Wolcott was the Auburn 
road. The last owners of the coach line were J. 
W. Olmstead and James Hyde. 

LIFTING COACHES OUT OF MUD. 

"To get through with the coaches at times 



34 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



was a real hardship and some peril. I was lo- 
cated in Wolcott but often went out as a driver. 
In the winter the coaches were frequently stalled 
in snow. In the spring and fall after the hard 
rains the heavy coach would get mired in mud. 
Then the passengers were called upon to turn 
out, get a fence rail and help pry the coach out. 
After the close of navigation on the lakes a 
great many sailors took passage on the coaches 
at Oswego for their homes in the country. It 
pleased the drivers to call upon them to lend a 
hand in Hfting the coach out of the mud, for it 
took the conceit out of them. 

ON A FLOAT BRIDGE AT NIGHT. 

"A coach from Oswego delayed all day on the 
road has called me out to hitch up and drive it 
through when I would be all night on the road. 
The great peril of that trip was in crossing the 
float bridge at Port Glasgow on planks supported 
by stringers floating on the water, the wind 
blowing a gale, the coach lights all out and not 
to be lighted in the wind and the horses and 



in the town, the first at Wolcott, the second at 
Red Creek and the wind-up at Thompson's Cor- 
ners. On one election day that I recollect a 
white man this side of the creek got his friends 
together, inviting them to go over to White 
Hotel and see him 'pick a nigger,' an old colored 
man who hung around there a great deal. The 
party managed to start the quarrel after calling 
all up for drinks, and the white man was soon 
busy with the nigger. In a brief round the nig- 
ger laid the white man on the floor in a heap and 
then took to the roads leading south, never 
again being seen in this section. He no doubt 
thought he had killed his opponent. 

UNCLE GILBERT WALKED 'TIL MORNING 

"At a gathering in the hotel of the old cronies 
one night Uncle John Gilbert made the remark 
that he guessed he would 'wallow home in the 
mud' across the creek. One of the party said 
that he would not take the walk in the darkness 
and mud for a dollar. 

"•I'll tell you what I'll do.' replied Uncle 




G. H. NORTHUP 

vehicle with difficulty guided across the danger- 
ous bridge where every foot of progress was 
sloshy-ty-slosh, sloshy-ty-slosh in Egyptian dark- 
ness with no rail on the side of the bridge to 
keep us from getting off'. 

"PICKING A NIGGER." 

"The old White Hotel with its fireplace, when 
the nights out-of-doors were dreary, was a favor- 
ite gathering place for tavern loungers, passen- 
gers waiting for coaches and others who had 
stepped in to get the news of the day. My 
recollection of its early landlords embraces Hiram 
Beach who followed Butterfield, (some years 
later) and next, Lucius Forbes, then A. A. 
Stinard and Aaron Norris. Long before them 
was an Englishman, Uncle Tommy Forbes. 
Butterfield, I believe, sold the house to Chauncey 
AUport, but for some time after retained the 
stage line. There were several changes in the 
hotel. Among others who ran it were Riley 
Merrill, Willis King, Reuben Brink and Lewis 
Hendrick. 

"In those times we had three days' elections 



LUMBER CO. 

John. 'For a sixpence a trip I'll walk over home 
and back as often as I can go between now and 
morning. ' 

" 'The party thinking they would have some 
fun in bluflSng him agreed to make up the purse 
on that basis for all the trips he would make. 
The saw mill down on the stream was running 
nights and some of them gathered there to see 
that he passed the mill going both ways while 
others remained at the hotel to see that he 
reached that point. He trudged back and forth 
through mud and darkness until daylight. When 
he passed the mill he called out to let them know 
of it. When the party scattered for their homes 
in the morning they raised among them a purse 
of a dollar or ten shillings. Uncle John South- 
wick was another who crossed the creek to spend 
his evenings at White Hotel. Trying to put to- 
gether a stovepipe one night up stairs at home 
he fell over a barrel (worth a shilling) and busted 
in the head. 'What's to pay up there?' cried 
his wife from the foot of the stairs, alarmed by 
the racket overhead. 'A shilling,' was the re- 
joinder. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




Smith, Photo. ONTARIO SHORE. NO. 4%. I. O. O. F. 

Lower Row (left to right):- Charles Walker. Floyd Meeker. Lyle. C. W. Smith, Guy Kellogg. Ed. 

Klinck.. Middle Row : Dr. D. B. Horton. Albert Rabin, James Phillips. Conner, Ira J. Foster, J. A. 

Murphy, E. J. Peck. Upper Row:-CharIes Plumley. Peter Monihan, R. H. Kelley. Manly Cole, B. T. Moore, S. 



Bowers, L. W. Knapp. Robe 

"The toll gate at Bay Bridge was kept by Miss 
Bouncer, who priding herself on her shrewdness 
tempted the boys occasionally to attempt to get 
the best of the toll. Isaac Johnson with a large 
box in his wagon passed by declaring that he 
was at the head of a show and had a wild animal 
in the box. He had a boon companion out of 
sight who while he was parleying with Miss 
Bouncer kept up such a clawing and growling 
that she became alarmed and passed them 
through. 

"Ten years after coming to Wolcott I left stage 
coaching and from 1856 to 1875 dealt in eggs, 
shipping from 7,000 to 10,000 barrels in a year. 
I had egg vats for hming eggs on Mill street, 
each of which held from 80,000 to 100,000 dozen, 
that were destroyed in the fire of 1876. ' ' 

Ontario Shore Lodge No. 495, I. 0. 0. F., 
was instituted Feb. 9, 1882. The old lodge insti- 
tuted many years ago was burned out in the fire 
of 1871, and lost all of its documents and books. 
The lodge since then has grown steadily. The 
officers are: N. G., R. H. Bailey; V. G., Wm. 
Brown; R. S., C. W. Smith; P. S., E. J. Peck; 
S. P. G. S., S. M. Bowers; R. S. N. G., Dr. D. 
B. Horton; L. S. N. G., A. L. Loveless; R. S. 
V. G.. rhnrl.-.v- WoWi: T.. S'. V. C Irvine Mfln- 



tyre; R. S. S., Peter Monihan; L. S. S., J. F. 
Hutchins; Warden, Charles Plumley; Conductor, 
Jesse Olmstead: Chaplain, I. L. Sherwood; I. 
G. Wm. Loveless; O. G., M. W. Cole. 

Evergreen Rebekah Lodge No. 145, I. 0. 0. 
F., was organized in March, 1893, and was the 
first Rebekah lodge in the county. The first 
officers were: Noble Grand, Mrs. J. E. Law- 
rence; Vice Grand, Mrs. James G. Brewster; 
Secretary, Miss Martha Cornwell ; Financial Sec- 
retary, Mrs. E. J. Peck; Treasurer, Mrs. William 
Brown. 

Woman's Guild, St. Stephen Episcopal 
Church was organized Oct. 15, 1902, and the fol- 
lowing oflScers were elected: President, Mrs. 
A. B. Sabin; Secretary, Mrs. R. L. Hamilton; 
Treasurer, Mrs. Fred Knapp. The Guild is a 
body of eleven zealous workers in the church, 
who during its three years of industry have raised 
$500 towards the building fund and for other 
purposes in the interest of the church. 

Early Blacksmith. — Hiram Bement, from 
Vermont, purchased sixty acres on the east side 
of Mill Creek, north of the Oswego road. He 
\v,i« ono "*' *^'' fir"t Wac-ksmiths at Wolcott. 




Winsor. Photo. EVERGREEN REBEKAH.S, NO. 145. I. O. O. F. 

Top Row (left to right) :-C. Walker. W. Brown, E. Robbins. S. Bowers. C. Plumley. C. E. Webb. Miss 
Schaeffer. Mrs. Robbins, Mrs. Schattner. Laura Vanderpool, Mabel Medan. Lower Uow-Edith Bort, Mrs. W. 
Brown, Pearl Olmstead, Mrs. C. Webb, Jennie Biown, Mrs, Plumley. 



;r[P's-' historical souvenir of wolcott. 



ji 






mif 



-»^»w> 












'E o. o g 



Next Largest in the World 

WOLCOTT GRANGE, NO. 348, P. OF H., HAS 
ABOUT 800 MEMBERS. 

Wolcott Grange, No 348, P. of H., was organ- 
ized Sept. 8, 1875. with thirty-one charter mem- 
bers and Capt. Jas. H. Hyde as Master. Poli- 
tics has been carefully kept out of the society, 
and the one aim has always been the study for 
the advancement and mutual help in the best 
methods of farming and fruit growing. 

The Chapter has steadily grown until now it 
has the distinction of being next to the largest 
in the world, having a membership of over 800 
and representing about 500 families. The pres- 
ent Master is Mr. Forest R. Pierson. 
The Chapter has never taken up the co-opera- 
. tive trade scheme, but has always loyally sup- 

^ ported the mercantile interests of the town, and 

^ has by its system of education in farming con- 

^ tributed much to the welfare of the village. 

^ OFFICERS, 1905. 

o Forest R. Pierson, Master. 

•^ Henry R. Paddock, Overseer. 

S ,J. Byron Smith, Lecturer. 

^ Mrs. Wm. Zopher McQueen, Steward. 

g Frank L. Watson, Ass't Steward. 

H Mrs. M. G. Wood, Lady Ass't Steward. 

Mrs. Irving Scott, Chaplain. 
J A. J. Fox, Treasurer. 

S Mrs. J. H. L. Roe, Secretary. 

J. H. L. Roe, Ass't and Financial Secretary. 
Ernest Mathews, Gate Keeper. 
Mrs. Warren Seager, Ceres. 
Mrs. Anna Kelley, Pomona. 
Mrs. Sarah A. Jones, Flora. 
Mrs. Ella Hibbard. Chorister. 
Mrs. I. Y. Upham, Pianist. 
Trustees—John 0. Wadsworth, term expires 
1905; Mason G. Wood, term expires 1906; Mrs. 
Jas. H. Brewster, term expires 1907. 

Executive Committee-A. B. Thacker, term 
expires 1905; I. Y. Upham, term expires 1906; 
Robert J. Kelley, term expj^res^ 1907 
Finance Committee — H. 
3 Smith, Frank L. Watson. 
i Director Fire Insurance — C. 
~ cott, N. Y. 
■S Our Motto is; "Malice towards none and 

1 charity for all." 

" THE CHARTER MEMBERS. 



R. Paddock, J. Byror 
E. Fitch, Wol- 




Jas. H. Hyde, 
Mrs. Jas. H. Hyde, 
J. H. L. Roe, 
Mrs. J. H. L. Roe, 
A. B. Thacker, 
Mrs. A. B. Thacker, 
T. J. Waldorf, 
Mrs. T. J. Waldorf, 
A. M. Wise, dec, 
Mrs. A. M Wise, dec, 
E. H. Reed, 
Mis. E. H. Rred, 
•kiah Kaston, 
Mrs. H.-/,ckiali Easton, 
John VVilsnii. dec, 
Lizzie B. Wilson, 



J. S. Tyrrell, 
Mrs. J. S. Tyrrell, 
J. L. Phillips, deceased, 
Mrs. J. L. Phillips, 
John Paylor, 
Mrs. John Paylor, 
Samuel S. Wells, 
Mrs. S. S. Wells, dec, 
Henry Dowd, dec, 
Mrs. Henry Dowd, dec, 
Allen H. Fitch sr., dec, 
H. W. Hendrick, 
W. J. Smith, 
E. N. Plank. 
Daniel Conger, dec. 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



37 



PAST MASTERS. 

Jas. H. Hyde, 1875. 

J. H. L. Roe, 1876-78. 

J. H. Hyde, 1879. 

J. S. Tyrrell, 1880. 

J. H. L. Roe, 1881-89. 

J. S. Tyrrell, 1890-1891. 

J. O. Wadsworth, 1892-1893. 

C. H. VanHeusen, deceased, 1894, (1 month). 

Geo, A. Slaght, 1894-1896. 

J. Byron Smith, 1897-1898. 

Mrs. A. B. Thacker, 1899-1900. 

H. R. Paddock, 1901. 

Dan'l Robertson, 1902, 

SECRETARIES. 

J. H L. Roe, 1885. 

E. H. Reed, 1876-79. 

J. H. L. Roe, 1880. 

E. H. Reed, 1881. 

Mrs. .J. H. L. Roe, 1882-1904. 

WOLCOTT A SMART VILLAGE. 

The village of Wolcott is one of the smartest, 
cleanest and most enterprising towns in this part 
of the state. This is true both in its resident 
and business features. 

Such are the features that attract the notice 
of the stranger at the first glance. The thrift 
and enterprise of the village may be attributed 
largely to the following conditions: 

The business and property of the village is 
managed and owned to a large extent by home 
capital; 

The village is the trade center of a very wide 
and prosperous section of country; 

It is the shipping center of a large fruit busi- 

Its business men are up to date and pushing 
and its citizens as a whole are well-to-do and 
pi-osperous. 

Wolcott is favored with one of the most com- 
plete electric light plants of to-day. It is con- 
ducted in an enterprising business way and fur- 
nishes both arc and incandescent lights to a large 
patronage. 

An evidence of the prosperity and thrift of the 
farming community from which Wolcott largely 
draws its retail trade is the Wolcott Grange, P. 
of H., No. 348. This organization of farmers, 
next to the largest Grange in the United States, 
has long been considered an index of the charac- 
ter and enterprise of the farming sections around 
Wolcott, where the most prosperous and intelli- 
gent farming class produces from fertile and 
highly cultivated farms large and profitable crops. 
Woleott is justly proud of her chapter of the 
Grange. 

Many places near Wolcott are historic, for it 
was at Sodus Bay that the earliest landed pro- 
prietor. Col. Charles Williamson, conceived the 
enterprise of an important lake harbor and great 
shipping point, and even began the erection of a 
large town. Here in the war of 1812 the British 
planned an invasion of the American colonies 



and appeared with the enormous flotilla of 90 
sail bristling with guns and crowded with vet- 
eran troops. The courage of a small militia and 
a few partisan bands swarming around the land- 
ing when the British attempted a foothold and 
annoying them as vigorously as a swarm of 
wasps drove them off'. 

"The Lake Shore News" was started in 1874 
by the late Wm. H. Thomas. 

In 1901 the growth and increased business of 
the town induced Mr. Chas. M. Delling to open 
another printing office and since that time the 
"Wolcott Courier" has been issued from this 
office. It has a large circulation and keeps the 
village and surrounding country thoroughly in 
touch with each other. 
Reminiscences; The old Apple Orchard is now 

a Section of Pretty Village Homes; Old School 

Masters at the Red Schoolhouse: 

John Boylan, born in 1825, is another old resi- 
dent of Wolcott — coming here with his parents 
from AUoway, near Lyons, when he was eleven 
years old — in 1836. 

"We went to live across the creek in a home 
near the cobblestone house. We afterwards 
lived in the Wolcott house," said Mr. Boylan. 

"The earliest business man of Wolcott I recol- 
lect was Levi Smith, the grocer. 

"John Gilbert was the earliest landlord at the 
old White hotel that I recall. 

FLOGGED THEN CURED THE WOUNDS. 

"I went to school in the red schoolhouse on 
New Hartford street and I well remember one 
of our teachers, Pettit, an old sea captain, who 
knew how to use the rod cheerfully as well as 
eff'ectually , so that the youngster whom he flogged 
could remember the flogging. Marks always 
followed the blows, but Pettit kept a bottle of 
some sort of cordial in his desk, from which he 
poured on to the aff'ected parts to prevent them 
from becoming scarred. Other teachers in that 
school that come to my mind were Harlow Hyde 
—we called him 'Squire— who was rather easy 
with the boys, and Dr. McCarthy who on the 
contrary was stern and also used the rod. 

"Some of the merchants in the village I recall 
were N. W. Tompkins, Uncle Ben Underbill and 
M. P. Foote. I clerked for Foote two years. 

"My father, Aaron Boylan, kept the Wolcott 
House twenty-five years. He bought it of E. Y. 
Munson. After father's death my brother and I 
ran it about two years and in 1860 or '61 sold out 
to Hiram Beach. 

"I remember the old apple orchard about 
where we now stand when it belonged to David 
Arne. It covered all of these grounds, my place 
here on Main street, and ran back to Orchard 
street. The property was also owned by M. P. 
Foote, who sold to James Wright and he cut it 
up into village lots. The tract extended west 
from Roe's present residence to the railroad 
tracks. Wright street was named after James 
Wright of whom I have spoken. The street run- 
ning down to the depot, opened up through the 
orchard is called Orchard street." 

American Wars.— King Phillip's, 1675; King 
William's, 1689: Dutch, 1693: Queen Anne's, 
1744, French and Indian, 1755; Revolution, April 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




DR. 1. ... 1 I. .11. 

1775 (Lexington fight) to Jan. 20, 1883 (treaty 
at Paris) 368,410 men in service; Northwest In- 
dian wars, Sept. 19, 1790, extending five years, 
8,983 men; French war, July 9, 1798, lasting two 
years, 4,593 men; Tripoli, June 10, 1801, 4 years, 
3,320 men; Creek Indian, July 27, 1813, 1 year, 
13,781 men; Great Britain, June 18, 1812, 2 years, 
8 months, 576,622 men; Seminole Indian, Nov. 
20, 1817, 1 year, 7,911 men; Black Hawk Indian, 
April 20, 1831, 1 year, 6 mouths, 6,465 men; 
Cherokee Indian, 1836, 1 year, 9,494 men; Creek 
Indian, May 5. 1836, 1 year, 5 months, 13,418 
men; FloriOa Indian, Dec. 23, 1835, 8 years, 
41,122 men; Aroostook Indian, 1838, 1 year, 
1,500 men; Mexican, April 14, 1846, 2 years, 3 
months, 101,282 men; Apache, Navajo and Utah 
Indian, 1849, 6 years, 2,501 men; Seminole In- 
dian, 1856, 2 years, 2,687 men; Civil war, April 
12, 1861, 4 years, 2,772,408 men-about 800,000 
confederate troops. 



Dr. Timothy S. Fish was a distinguished 
and successful practicing physician during a 
period of twenty-five years and at the same time 
was engaged in the drug trade. Having partners 
to look after the store, he was able to give his 
whole time to his practice. It was a profession 
of love as well as pride with him, for he enjoyed 
doing good. He was a man of strong convictions 
possessing energy and enterprise; a Christian 
with a broad, liberal view of life, closely at- 
tached to his family and loyal to his friends. 
Public spirited he took a deep interest in the 
advancement of the community. In March, 
1889. he was elected a trustee of the village and 
held the office until March, 1893. He was physi- 
cian for the Board of Health. Elected trustee 
of Leavenworth Institute August 3, 1898, he 
served faithfully and with ability the cause of 
public education in which he was interested until 
his death. He was a member of the Methodist 
church and president of the Board of Trustees 
at his death. He was a member of the Masonic 
order, the G. A. R., and was post surgeon, and 
served as examining surgeon for the Maccabees. 

Dr. Fish was born in the town of Williamson 
Sept. 10, 1849. Brought up on a farm in child- 
hood he was still a youth when he left home, en- 
listing in the armies that battled for the Union 
when fifteen years old, Aug. 31, 1864. That he 
was under age attracted the attention of the 
officers who gave him an honorable discharge 
from the service Nov. 19, 1864, with a surgeon's 
certificate of disability based on his age. On his 
return home he re-entered school and was grad- 
uated at the Marion Collegiate Institute June 
29, 1870. Then he began the study of medicine 
for which he proved so well fitted and on May 5, 
1873, was graduated at the Detroit College of 
Medicine. That same year he came to Wolcott 
and engaged in the drug business on Mill street 
in the firm of Fish & Munn. The latter sold out to 
E. J. Peck and when in 1876 the store was burned 
the firm was Fish & Peck. 

Then it was that Dr. Fish directed his entire 
attention to the practice of his profession al- 
though he had a partnership interest in the drug 
business to the time of his death, August 9, 
1901. In 1887 he organized the firm of Colvin, 
Fish & Moore, which located where Lyttle & 




U'KNUt;. LOOKl^ 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT, 




Smith. Phi. 



LEAVENWORTH BASE BALL TEAM 
right)— R. B. Gurley 



Standing 
manager. Top Row (left to right)— Edwii 
Brockway, 3 b.: Roy Gaboon, sub. Lower 
s.: Wm. Lynch. 1. f . ; Edgar H. Thomas, p. 
Newberry, c. f. Mascott— Asel Foster. 

Turpenning are now. In 1896 the firm of Fish & 
Dusenberry was formed in the store now occu- 
pied by Fish & Waldorf. Dr. Fish and J. R. 
Waldorf became partners in May, 1900, and con- 
tinued together until the doctor died, after which 
the estate has continued its interest in the busi- 
ness represented in the store by Dr. Fish's 
eldest daughter. Miss Fannie L. Fish, who is an 
educated pharmacist. 

After the fire on Mill street, at the time the 
doctor began active practice, he resumed his 
medical studies and took a post-graduate course 
at Bellevue college, New York city, where he 
matriculated Oct. 2, 1878. A few years later, in 



nager; (at left) -Arthur L. F 
1 Pitts, r. f.: Willis Rathbun. 2 b.; G. Porter 
Row— Marion Beach. 1 b. ; Leon Hibbard. s. 
and captain; Earll W. Brown, c: Bordner 



1884, he took a three months' course in a London 
hospital. 

Dr. Fish on September 25, 1873, married Sarah 
Rogers of Marion. Their daughters are Fannie 
L., Annie R., (Mrs Charles Hawley) of Red 
Creek and Bessie A. Fish. The son is Arthur 
L. Fish. 

Reminiscences of Lawson Matthews who De- 
scribes the Visit to Wolcott of a Party of 
Canadian Raiders; Bear and Deer Shooting; 
Obadiah Adams, and School Children: — 
"My father, Jesse Matthews, came from New 

Hartford, Ct., in 1809 and built a log house south 




Smith. Photo. WOLCOTT HOSE CO. 

Lower Row;— Willie Olmstead, John Waldorf. E, 
Bevier. George Roe. Prof. R. B. Gurley. R. H. Kelley. 
Mabie. C. Trickier. H. Douglass. John Fitzsimmons. J 
W. Day. A. Jourdan. Fred King. Charles Graves. 



B. Dowd. George Reed, Fred 
Upper Row:-Charles Pitts. W. 
Dhn Creiue. Charles Wright. H. 



40 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



of my present home. The frame house where 
the log house was built was erected in 1832. 
Lucius Hubbard, my wife's father. Abijah Moore 
and others came with him. The next year they 
brought their families," said Lawson Matthews, 
who was born in that log house in 1822 and is 
now 83 years old and in very poor health. 

"I can remember," continued he, "the log 
road — logs laid side by side to keep teams from 
miring in the swamp — that led through New 
Hartford street into the village. I can recollect 
attending school in the red school house (now 
the site of the engine house) when about 6 years 
old, and up to the time I was 13. I remember 
Obadiah Adams who was keeping the hotel across 
the street. One day when the scholars were 
coming out at noon he stood in the street across 
the road with a basket. 'Pig! Pig! Pig!' he 
called out, and then showed the children his 
basket full of the big, juicy, English cherries. 
Knowing what it meant they ran across the road 
like a flock of frightened sheep and the half 
bushel of cherries, after a lot of scrambling and 



game. Nelson Moore and his brother shot 50 
black squirrel in two hours in the swamp below 
our meadow. Foxes, too, were in great plenty. 
Borden Booth could tell many fox stories for he 
caught quite a number. 

PLOWING SNOW WITH OXEN. 

"Early roads were hard to get over in the 
winter with the snow that we have. I have in 
mind starting from Wolcott to break roads and 
before getting to Whiskey Hill, three miles, 
having eight or ten yoke of oxen attached to the 
plow. Our daddies in those days used oxen to 
break land and do all their farm work. Mine 
bought 150 acres of the Pultney estate paying 
$6 an acre. There was a good deal of swamp 
and woods, and black snakes were numerous. 
Many black snakes have been caught at the falls 
[in the village]. Father was supervisor in 1816 
and was justice of the peace a long time. He 
died in 1822. Mother lived to be 93 years old. I 
still keep the old account book which my father 
then used. 

"I remember the iron ore bed over near Red 
Ci-eek where teams loaded up and brought the 




BROTHERHOOD OF .ST. PAUL: M, E CHURCH. 



Lower Row (left to right):— Elihu Rogers. Willis 1 
Second Row:— Delmer Bennett. Charles Rice, Clarenc 
Church. Upper Row:-W. U. Jenkins. H. W. Day, W. 
wood. Wm. Clapper. 

clawing by the children, was quickly distributed 
among them. 

MENAGERIES IN HOTEL BARN. 

"In the barn back of the hotel I have seen 
monkeys and bears placed on exhibition, the pub- 
lic being charged admission. John Grandy once 
secured two live fawns up near the lake which 
were kept in an enclosure back of the hotel — I 
don't know how long. Their capture was easy 
on account of the deep snow. It was common 
in those days to see deer run through the fields 
or across the road hereabouts. I have seen 
eight or ten in a string. Horton Moore shot the 
last deer I recall having seen about here. His 
dogs chased it through the village, and the deer 
took to the mill pond. 

BEAR AND FOX SHOOTING. 

"One named Hancock shot a bear near Fur- 
nace village [a mile north of Wolcott village]. 
I have known bears to come out of the woods in 
this part of the town and lug off a hog weighing 
over a hundred pounds. Bears were by no 
means scarce. And there was plenty of other 



thbun, Earll Brown. Leon Hibbard, Frank Loveless. 
Johnson. Rev. J. L. Gillard. C. J. Armstrong. Wm. 
Paddock, H, L. Rumsay, Charles Walker, I. L. Sher- 



iron over to the blast furnace. Twenty feet of 
dirt was taken off to uncover the bed which 
proved to be 2'^ feet thick. 

"George Arne built the Ladue house and his 
brother built the plank road. Hamilton put up 
the toll gate, 

CANADIAN RAIDERS AT WOLCOTT. 

"The island in the creek above the falls is in 
my mind connected with the scene of the en- 
campment of a party of men on their way to 
raid Canada. I think I was fourteen years old, 
which would make the year when the raiders 
came to Wolcott, 1836. My memory is impressed 
with the incident. I can see them marching into 
the village welcomed here by the firing of a can- 
non in the street. My brother, Augustus, and 
Daniel Reed loaded the gun and Crippen touched 
it off". The gun busted. A splinter hurt Crip- 
pen's legs. The windows in Tompkins' store 
(now the Wells market I were broken. I stood 
near a woodpile next the Baptist church, in 
which a piece of the cannon struck. The raiders 
marched over to the island and encamped there. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



41 



I don't remember how long they staid. I think 
it was more than a day. They were on their 
way from Niagara Falls and were going to cap- 
ture Canada. Two years after that two other 
cannon that were being fired on the island 
busted." 
Reminiscences; The Box Pews in the Old 

Presbyterian Chuixh; Early Land Owners: — 

Among the well known of the early Presbyte- 
rian families was that of William Button. Mrs. 
Button, eighty-four years old last January, lives 
in the house built by Osgood Church with the 
family of her daughter, Mrs. Hovey. They 
bought the place of Benjamin Underbill and 
moved there in the spring of 1851. "At that 
time between here and the village," said Mrs. 
Button, "there was only one house before reach- 
ing Br. Watkins' present residence, the old But- 
terfield home. From Mrs. F. S. Johnson's house 
to the railroad, north of Main street, was an or- 
chard belonging to M. P. Foote. 

"We raised principally barley and took it to 
Clyde and we traded in Wolcott at Underbill's, 
afterwards Smith's, where W. B. Campbell's 
store is now. 

"I remember the old box pews in the old Pres- 
byterian church with doors to them. Mrs. Elisha 
Leavenworth was a singer in the church. I re- 
call Jedediah Wilder with his family gathered 
around their square lunch basket at church. We 
then carried lunches and attended two services. 

"When we took this place Jedediah Wilder's 
farm joined us on the west and included the pres- 
ent Alfred Markle farm. Mr. Paddock had the 
farm across the road from us, now belonging to 
the Russell estate, and lived in the old house 
standing down in the oi'chard. On the east of 
us was Mr. Guile's farm and to the north-west 
Beacon Wells'." 

Reminiscences; The Village in 1840; Two 
Stores, a Shop or Two and a Swamp in Main 
Street Bescribed ; Incidents on the Removal of 
Old Burial Grounds; — 

' 'There were only two stores on the north side 
of Main street when I first came to Wolcott. 
Mr. Foote had one near the corner at this end of 
the street [Mill street corner] and Underbill had 
the other up next to where Roe's bank is now. 
There was a little bit of a building next to 
Foote 's store used for a tin shop. I don't re- 
member who had it. Above that was another 
small building, Ruth Smith's millinery store. 
The rest was open space and a board walk ran 
along there. Across the street from Underbill's 
was the hotel and below that were one or two 
buildings in which there was a hat and cap and 
another shop or two. All but the Gilbert build- 
ing and that next to it in this picture [looking 
over the view on page 5] were built after I came 
here." 

The speaker was Mrs. Loduskey Simpson who 
will be seventy-nine years old in August, 190.5, 
and who came to Wolcott when 14 years old— in 
1841. She is smart and speaks as though her 
recollection is clear. 

THE SWAMP IN MAIN STREET. 

"My father, Lamson Burch," she continued, 

"was a carpenter and Br. Ame got him to come 



here to do some work for him. Pa built a barn 
on the street below here [Jefferson] which was 
said to be the best barn in town. We first lived 
on the Port Bay road, and afterwards moved 
into the village. I went to school across from the 
hotel. Just beyond the school house the street 
was crossed by a drain. Where the churches 
are now. and where Bert Thacker and Mr. Northup 
live, was a swamp and it was drained across the 
street back of the hotel [New Hartford street] 
into the stream below in the gulf. This swamp 
was sometimes so wet that when we went up 
Main street we got over by walking on a rail 
fence. Along where those nice houses and lawns 
are, on Main street, was a rail fence on each side 
of the road. The swamp ran through to the 
spring on Lake avenue. All of the fine lawns at 
Mr. Thacker's and Mr. Northup's and on Lake 
avenue was then a swamp grown with willows 
and other kinds of swamp timber and berry 
bu.shes. 

THE OLD APPLE ORCHARDS. 

"Back of this swamp extending from back of 
the spring over toward the railroad was a large 
orchard. Right here, across the street what is 
now Mr. Graves' house, was a dwelling that stood 
in the midst of another orchard and this orchard 
ran along the south side of Main street down to 
the gulf. They cut down some of this orchard 
when they built the second Presbyterian church 
[second sti'ucture, near the arcade]. We used 
to have Sunday school picnics in that orchard 
back of the church. 

DR. ARNE'S BARNS. 

"I remember the old house on the hill which 
they called the Black House where Br. Arne 
lived. His barns were across the street next to 
the Presbyterian church, where Br. Watkins 
lives. Br. Arne was always having work done 
on his barns. Br. Braper bought that place and 
tore down the church and built his house. 

"On Lake avenue when we came here Br. 
Johnson hved where Mrs. Creque does now. 
Just beyond was an old house and there was no 
other house on Lake avenue until you reached 
the spring. I don't remember who lived there 
but B. A. Merrill Hved across the street. 

JOHN GRANDY'S discovery. 

"The first person buried in the old cemetery 
was Mr. Ladue's mother. My father was the 
second. I have heard tell of the removal of the 
bodies from the cemetery up here back of the 
old Methodist church [on East Main street]. 
John Grandy took them up and they were buried 
back of the hotel, where they started a ceme- 
tery, where Winchell's house and barn are now. 
I have heard John Grandy tell that he took up 
an infant's coffin which was so light he went 
home and got the screw driver and opened it; 
and he found it empty. The parents of the in- 
fant supposed to have been in the coflin moved 
to Rochester Grandy said he never had the 
heart to tell them. 

MILKED SITTING ON GRAVESTONE. 

"Mr. Burgdorff lived where James Shaw now 
lives. His cow shed covered one comer of the 
old cemetery and inside of the shed were two 
small graves. I have sat on the foot stones 
in the shed. Mr. Burgdorff said he sat on 
one of the stones when he did his milking. 
Two of the graves had caved in and Mr. Bill 
filled them up with stone. 



RIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




"There used to be a log house up on Main 
street and a child died there. Its father took its 
body on horseback to the Butler cemetery 
through the woods. The woods were so thick 
then around here that parties went ahead and 
blazed his way on the trees. That was years 
before we came here. 

DEACON OLMSTEAD SURPRISED. 

"I remember the explosion of cannon on one 
Fourth of July. The Baptists were having some 
kind of a meeting in the church. A piece of 
cannon came down through the roof and struck 
on the floor at the feet of Deacon Olmstead. He 
was so mad he got up and went out pretty quick, 
I tell you! I guess he was surprised. 

■'TIk' r'resliyterian meeting house was then 



iK'ing built and was enclosed. The 
lailies had it decorated with ever- 
greens and were serving a supper to 
laise money when the cannon ex- 
I'liided down there and a piece of it 
(Irnve the pump down in the well." 

Thacker Bro's S( Co., as a firm 
under that name, was organized with 
W. H. Thacker, A. B. Thacker and 
E. A. Wadsworth as its members in 
1888. W. H. Thacker died in 1898 
but there has since been no change 
in the firm or its business, the W. 
H. Thacker estate continuing to hold 
his interests there. 

The business was begun by A. B. 
Thacker and J. S. Terrill in 1873 and 
when Mr. Terrill retired Mr. A. B. 
Thacker maintained the business as 
it was started until he had interested 
others in it; and he is really the 
founder of it. 

Since then, through a few changes 

only, the business has steadily grown, 

^' '^' ' extending its benign influence over 

that wide extent of country out of which the 

merchants of Wolcott naturally draw trade. 

When in 1888 Mr. Wadsworth, who had been 
a clerk for Thacker Bros, nine years and had 
grown up with the business, became partner and 
took up the more active part of the management 
of the business, new ideas for attracting trade 
were promulgated, a wider range of dealings 
adopted and the stimulation of trade became ap- 
parent, both in the growth of patronage and the 
expansion of business. 

When the firm ten years ago settled into its 
present quarters, "The Steel Front Store," an 
entire building erected expressly for them, the 
people of Wolcott found they had got among 
them a department store conducted on the scale 
of a real department business in a large way. 
In point of floor space or quantity and charac- 




rHACKEK BKIJS. &0l'. DEt'AKTMt 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICA 



VENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




43 



Smith, Photo. 



THACKER BROS. & CO. -DRY GOODS DEPT. 



ter of goods, or from any other point of view, 
there is no firm in Wayne county outside of 
Lyons and Newarli comparable with this one. 
Its business is carried on as that of a city store, 
and in a general sense it offers equal advantages 
with the best store in Lyons and Newark. 

It comprises the four main departments of a 
large general retail mercantile establishment: 
the dry goods; that of carpets, rugs and cur- 
tains; boots and shoes; and the staple grocery 
and crockery lines. 

The concern occupies two floors and basements 
of double stores, tak- 
ing the main floors for 
dry goods and boots 
and shoes, the upper 
floors for the curtains, 
carpets, matting, dra- 
peries, cloaks and 
suits; and the base- 
ments for groceries, 
wall paper, crockery, 
lamps and china, guns, 
ammunition and 
sportsmen's goods. 

The history of the 
business is the history 
of A. B. Thacker. 
The firm of Terrill & 
Tnacker were togeth- 
er about two years, 
located in the Palmer 
block, then Mr. Ter- 
rill withdrew. While 
for a short time Mr. 
Thacker was looking 
about for a partner, 
fire swept out the 
south side of the street 
— in 187-5— burning out 
the firm of Thacker 
& Johnson, who were 



then conducting a gro- 
cery opposite Terrill 
& Thacker. W. H. 
Thacker and T. W. 
Johnson, brother and 
brother-in-law of A. 
B. Thacker, came into 
the business with him 
shortly after their fire, 
and for four or five 
\eais the firm was 
Thacker, Johnson & 
I ] On account of 
1 uhng health Mr. 
I ihnson then with- 
iheu going into the' 
w f st m search of rest 
md cui-e. This was 
t illowed by Thacker 
Bio's moving into the 
Whitfoid block. 

In 1888 E. A. Wads- 
worth, Mr. A. B. 
Thacker's son-in-law, 
became a partner and 
the name of the firm 
smce then has been 
Thacker Bro's & Co. 
It had now become 
apparent that a large 
store was needed and so a lease was entered 
into with G. H. Northup and F. S. Johnson for 
a new building which they were to build and to 
plan to suit the firm. It is a large double store, 
long and broad, with a front of steel and is 
specially designed for the department business 
of this firm. Thacker Bros. & Co. opened in the 
new block in 189.5 and since that time the im- 
pulse of its trade has carried the firm along with 
vigorous strides. The death of W. H. Thacker, 
in 1898, left E. A. Wadsworth with practically 
the management of the business in his own 





m 


f; ■'*' 


*^^ 



TH.ACKEK BROS. 



-BCIOT AND SHOE DEPT. 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




Smith. Photo. MRS W H THACkER S RESIDENCE 

hands. Mr. Wadbwoith was boin April 13, 1863, 
in the town of Savannah and was educated at 
Leavenworth Institute. At the age of seven- 
teen years he went to work for Thacker Bros. 
& Co. Mr. Wadsworth is one of the organizers 
of the Wadsworth Band. He married Mary 
C, the daughter of A. B. Thacker. April 14, 
188", and they have two daughters. Marguerite 
and Mildred. Mr. Wadsworth is active in public 
matters and a lover of out-of-door sports, partic- 
ularly with the gun, being the promoter of the 
Catehpole Gun Club of Woleott and the man 
upon whom personally largely depends the suc- 
cess of the annual shoots by state marksmen 
held at Woleott. He is a member of the Masonic 
order. 

A. B. Thacker, the founder of the business has 
lived in the town of Woleott sixty-five years and 
nearlv half of that time in this village. His has 



been a sturdy, active 
and productive career, 
overflowing with 
hours of labor, and to 
his excellent memory 
is due much of the val- 
uable information 
published in this work. 
He was born Nov. 20, 
1835, in Fayette, Sen- 
eca county, N. Y., 
w.here his parents 
coming from Cayuga 
county a year or two 
previous, resided until 
1840, when they came 
to Woleott and settled 
on the old Hunter farm 
north of the village. 
William Schuyler 
Thacker, his father, 
was both a horticul- 
turist and agricultur- 
ist. He died on what 
is now the A. J. De- 
witt farm which he 
had bought a few 
years previous. Mrs. 
T. W. Johnson and 
Mis John L. Phillips, his daughters, reside at 
Woleott. A. B. Thacker on May 9, 1860, mar- 
ried Margaret, the daughter of H. F. Mclntyre 
who in the early 30's was a carpenter and builder 
in Woleott. Mrs. Thacker is prominent in social 
and Grange circles. Their children are W. H. 
Thacker, on the farm; Luella A. (Mrs. Dr. E. 
P. Thatcher) of Newark; Mary C. (Mrs. E. A. 
Wadsworth) and Emma A., deceased, (Mrs. 
Hulbert) of Syracuse. A. B. Thacker, who for 
twelve years following his marriage was wholly 
devoted to farming, spends much of his time now 
in farming and fruit raising, dividing his hours 
of work, when not in the store, between his 
large grounds in the village and his farm. 

William Henry Thacker was born in Owasco, 
Cayuga Co., N. Y., June 26, 1833, the son of 
Wm. Schuyler Thacker. On September 2, 1855, 
he married Augusta M. " 



the only daughter of 




KER'S RESIDENCE. 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



45 




Smith. Fh.jto. E. A. WADSWORTH'S RESIDENCE. 

Isaac Rice of Wolcott who lived on what is now ers 
the Wise homestead. W. H. Thacker bought 
the place soon after he married and carried on 
farming there until after the war. Then he and 
his brother-in-law, T. W. Johnson, bought the 
Creque farm, in 1866. And afterwards went into 



cepts and high pur- 
poses. He had no 
children of his own, 
but an adopted daugh- 
ter. Mrs. Thacker is 
a busy woman, giving 
much of her time to 
ladies' work in the vil- 
lage. 

Height of Water 
Sheds of New York 
above tide. — Hudson 
river and Ramapo at 
Moncey, Westchester 
Co., 557 ft; Hudson 
and Delaware rivers 
at Otisville, Orange 
Co., 900 ft; Hudson 
and Neversink rivers 
at Wawarsing, Ulster 
Co., 850 ft; Hudson 
river and Lake Onta- 
rio at Rome, Oneida 
Co., 427 ft; Hudson 
river and Lake Erie 
at Tonawanda, Erie 
Co., 557 ft; Delaware 
and Susquehanna riv- 
3roome Co., 1,373 ft: 



short 

time after they were burned out; and after that 
forming the co-partnership already spoken of. 
The beautiful home of hi-* widow, W. H. Thacker 
built the year he came to the village. He was 
a prominent supporter of the Presbyterian church 
society of Wolcott, an elder and trustee, and 
zealous worker in the church. He was the 
superintendent of the Sunday school at the time 
of his death, Aug. 26. 1898. For twenty-five 
years he was on the village Board of Education. 
He was a man of lofty character. Christian pre- 



ers at Deposit Summit, 

Susquehanna and Mohawk rivers at Bouckville, 
Madison Co., 1,127 ft: Susquehanna river and 
Oneida lake at Tully, Onondaga Co., 1,247 ft; 
Susquehanna river and Cayuga lake at Ithaca 
Summit, Tompkins Co., 960 ft; Susquehanna riv- 
er and Seneca lake at Horseheads, Chemung Co., 
884 ft; Susquehanna and Genesee rivers at 
Alfred Summit, Alleghany Co., 1,780 ft; Gene- 
see and Alleghany rivers at Cuba, Alleghany 
Co., 1,699 ft; Alleghany river and Lake Erie 
at Little Valley Summit, Cattaraugus Co., 1,614 
ft ; Mohawk river and Lake Ontario at Kasoag, 
Oneida Co. , 536 ft ; Mohawk and Black rivers at 
Boonville, Oneida Co., 1,120 ft; Lake Champlain 
and St. Lawrence river at Chateaugay Summit, 
Franklin Co., 1,050 ft. 




:atchpole GUI 



VNNUAL SHOOT AT WOLCOTT. MAY 




GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



W W PADDOCK 



Mrs. F- L. Knapp, located in Wolcott Jan- 
uary 1, 1905, coming from Buffalo, with new and 
fashionable styles in millinery, and she has pro- 
vided the village with a stock of the latest style 
of goods. Mrs. Knapp is h progressive, business 
woman and the people of Wolcott are giving her 
the patronage such a place deserves. 

William Warren Paddock — During a period 
of forty-six years William Warren Paddock was 
one of the leading citizens and active business 
men of Wolcott It was during the period that 
Wolcott grew up from a scattering village of a 
few small houses and wooden stores to a well 
built and prosperous town. To that growth Mr. 
Paddock contributed his full share in every way, 
so that any account of Wolcott would be incom- 
plete which did not take him into consideration. 



Mr. Paddock was born at Vienna in ""neida 
County, N. Y., on the 6th day of June, 1832, and 
was the second of nine children born to Jacob 
and Polly Paddock. When he was four years old 
his parents moved to the town of Huron and five 
years later i-emoved to the town of Wolcott to 
the farm on Port Bay street known as the Ben- 
jamin Brown farm. Upon this farm Mr. Pad- 
dock spent his early life doing farm work and 
attending the district school for a few weeks at 
a time as he could be spared from the work. 
When he was eighteen years of age he deter- 
mined to learn some trade. For a short time he 
tried harness making in Clyde but not finding 
that to his liking he entered the employ of the 
hardware firm of Bradish and Bourne at Lyons, 
N. Y. The spirit with which he entered upon 
his business career may be gathered from this 
incident: Upon applying to this firm for em- 
ployment, they asked what terms and wages 
he expected, his reply was, "any terms, provided 
I thoroughly learn the trade." After a two 
years' apprenticeship with this firm, he worked 
as tinner for a few years at Clyde and Lyons. 

In 1857 Mr. Paddock came to Wolcott and 
opened a hardware store in partnership with Mr. 
Samuel Foster. This store was a wooden build- 
ing at the corner of Mill and Main streets on the 
site now occupied by the Lawrence Marble and 
Granite works. After a few years Mr. Foster 
took over the hardware business and for about 
two years Mr. Paddock ran a canning factory in 
connection with Mr. Ephraim Nichols. This was 
during the Civil War and the firm canned meats, 
vegetables and fruits on a large scale for that 
time, for the use of the soldiers in the Union 
army. At the close of the War this business was 
wound up and he bought back the entire hardware 
business of Mr. Foster. After the fire of 1872 he 
built the brick store at No. 14 Main street where 
he carried on his hardware business until his 
death. 

Mr. Paddock always took an active and prom- 
inent part in all matters of public interest. Al- 
though his own educational opportunities had 
been limited to a few weeks per year in a district 
school, he was one of the founders and for years 
the treasurer of Leavenworth Institute. He 




S MILLINEKV 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



47 



with Col. Dutton planted the trees which now 
ornament the campus of that Institution. He 
also at his death provided for a scholarship at 
Syracuse University to be used for the benefit of 
needy Wolcott students. In politics Mr. Pad- 
dock was a Republican and although he never 
desired or held office outside of village affairs he 
never failed to e.xercise his right of franchise 
and take an active interest in the questions of 
the day. In village administration he was for 
one or more terms President of the village and 
many times trustee. 

Mr. Paddock was converted and became a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
when a young man about eighteen years of age 
and was a lifelong and active member of that 
church. The building of the present Methodist 
Episcopal chuixh of Wolcott was financed and 
managed by him. He gave personally in money 
towards its construction the sum of $2,000, which 
was one-fourth of his entire property at that 
time. Dui-ing most of the years of his life at 
Wolcott he was a member of its official Board 
and a writer has said of him that "he brought 
to the use of the Church the same hard headed 
business sense that made him a success in his 
own private affairs, and from a struggling group 
of worshipers that society has grown to be one 
of the strongest in this community." At his 
death Mr. Paddock left this Church an endow- 
ment of $2,000, as a permanent fund for building 
repairs. 

At twenty-three years of age Mr. Paddock 
married Mary A. Lester of Lyons, N. Y., who 
still survives him. Five children were born to 
them, four of whom are living, H. Lester of 
Fulton, N. Y., William H. and Bessie Tiftt Pad- 
dock and Mrs. Edw. T. Brown of Wolcott, N. Y.. 

Until his death, which occurred Nov. 24. 1903, 
he was active in business and intei-ested in vil- 
lage affairs, constant in his devotion to his fam- 
ily, and was held in the highest respect by all 
who knew him. 
Reminiscences of Old Timers East of the 

Creek — Wagons were Made from the Rough in 

Sebring's Shop — Beech Leaves Kept Family 

in Food: — 

A. W. Chase, living east of the creek in the 
house where he and his wife began housekeeping 
fifty-five years ago, is eighty years old. His 
father, Oliver Chase, located over near Port Bay 
in 1826 in a log house. "That summer, my 
father having no supphes or means of getting 
them," said Mr. Chase, "the family were com- 
pelled to live on beech leaves for six weeks, 
which they cooked as you would greens. 

"Our family the first night they were in this 
section stayed at Levi Smith's house. He built 
the old cobble stone house. He thought he 
would keep a cold water tavern and ran one for 
about a year. Then he changed it into a store 
which he had until about 1841 or '42 when it be- 
came a dwelUng. 

"Along in 1842 or '43 I worked at wagon 
making for Roswell Cleveland whose shop stood 
where the Methodist church now stands. 

"Between the present grist mill and the site 
of the old saw mill in the gulf I helped build a 
saw mill for Middaw in which was placed a 40- 
horse power engine and which burned down. I 



have seen that whole yard about the mills piled 
up twenty logs deep. 

WATER WHEEL WOULD NOT RUN. 

"Jerry Sebring bought Foster's farm and built 
a saw mill where Wadsworth's place is now, on 
the North Wolcott road, in a hollow. The water 
wheel could not raise the saw, which was an old 
muley saw, but Sebring had to start it going by 
putting a lever under the teeth of the saw. 
Then Sebring and I constructed a wheel with 20- 
inch buckets and you can bet that went. As the 
land was ditched and drained the stream gave 
out and Sebring got a steam engine. Alden 
Hale finally rented the mill. Then it was sold 
to Hall & Co. who put in machinery for cutting 
out barrel staves and heads, but they never did 
any business. The mill burned up. 

"One of the old gunsmiths in later days was 
David Pease. I worked for him. He had a 
shop on Mill street at the foot of Auburn street 
in a building put up for a tavern. 

EARLY FARMERS. 

"Roswell Benedict was one of the earliest 
farm owners this side of the creek, north of Red 
Creek road. Pat Casey had the farm adjoining 
it on the east and Caleb Millicins owned the 
James Hyde farm. Next north was the Plank 
farm. 

"My grandfather, Nathaniel Chase, came here 
a year before my father. He tended Plank's 
mill after it was rebuilt. 

"Millington & Cornwell built the old White 
hotel just within my recollection. Jerry Sebring 
had a wagon shop where you turn off on to the 
Port Bay road. One season I made nine lumber 
wagons in that shop. I sawed out the fellies 
from the rough timber. 

MYSTERY OF SPOOKY HOLLOW. 

"I remember the incident of picking a nigger 
in the White Hotel. Jake Sherman, who lived 
over near Spooky Hollow, invited myself and 
several others to go over and see him pick the 
nigger. The nigger broke his jaw and I helped 
carry him home. Spooky Hollow was where 
they said the moans of a man who had been mur- 
dered could be heard, and many people avoided 
the place until it was found that the noise pro- 
ceeded from one tree grinding against another. 

THE TWO MILLERS. 

"When N. W. Tompkins owned the grist mill 
I worked there. Warren Youngs was the miller. 
Then Tompkins traded the mill for a farm with 
a man named Olmstead and he brought along 
Miles Crane for the miller. I didn't like him 
and quit a month after. 

"Moore's old distillery in the hollow near the 
Clyde road I remember well. Bert Saxon used 
to draw four-foot wood to the distillery and I can 
now see him driving four oxen hitched to a load. 
He got seventy-five cents a cord. In those days 
whiskey brought eighteen pence a gallon but we 
never had use for it. ' ' 
Reminiscences of the Old "Black House 

Farm" Buildings: Describing the Condition of 

Main Street Fifty Years Ago:— 

The old "Black House" farm buildings, the 
sites of which are now built up with beautiful 
village homes surrounded by lawns and gardens, 
are described by D. A. Foote. There ai-e others 
living who remember them. 



48 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



' 'After Dr. David Arne who was for years the 
owner and occupant of them had moved to Au- 
burn, there to educate his children, M. P. Foote, 
his son-in-law. came to Wolcott to engage in 
business," said David A. Foote, "and the old 
Melvin buildings became his charge. The house 
he re-clapboarded thus disposing of the wretched 
appearance given it by bein? painted black. He 
spent $2,000 in repairing the house. It was a 
long, two-story building, now standing on Smith 
street, with its gable toward the street. 

"Across Main street stood the carriage house, 
now where Captain Curtis lives. A large sheep 
bam stood south of it in the field. The Lang- 
well residence on Draper street stands a little 
east of the site of that barn. 

"Along Main street, east of the farm house, 
now the site of a row of hands me dwellings, 
was the barnyard running from the street back 
ten rods. The barn shed, a long open structure 
for sheltering stock, formed the west boundary 
to the yard with one end resting on the street. 
The grounds of Will Paddock's residence occupy 
that site. Along about in the rear part of Will 
Paddock's lot was the big barn, enclrsing the 
barnyard on the north. You can now see the old 



church and crashed through the floor very close 
to where Jennie Boylan was standing. 

"I recall the time when the upper balcony of 
the hotel went down with several people, at some 
doings in town, and injured a number. Mrs. 
Bissell was hurt the worst. 

"My personal recollections of old timers in- 
clude Abijah Moore, Dr. Wilson, James Wright 
and Hiram Church. 

"I was born in Wolcott in the forties and 
learned the art of photography from Charles 
Ravel, beginning work for him in 1861 in the 
gallery over what is now Campbell's store. He 
made ambrotypes which soon after disappeared, 
being replaced with the wet pl'te process. De- 
guerrotypes had gone out of use before my time. 

"Chauncey P. Smith had a general store in the 
present Campbell store at that time." 

Draper Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, 
named for the late Dr. Edwin H. Draper, a Mas- 
ter Mason of long standing, was installed at Wol- 
cott on February 25, 1898. by Past Grand Ma- 
tron Elizabeth Raymond, assisted by Raymond 
Chapter, No. 100, of Savannah, N. Y. 




Smith. Photo. 



DRAF 



CHAPTER. ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR. 



Top Row (left to right) :-Mrs. Clifford Brewster. Mrs. C. D. Walk 
bury. Mrs. Wm. Olmstead, Miss Sue G. Craft, Mrs. Dr. Day. Miss Fa 
H. BIi.ss. Mrs. Dr. L. C. Jones. Middle Row:-Miss Carolyn D. 
den, Mrs. E. H. Kellogg. Dr. L. C. Jones, Mrs. Dr. S. "' •' 
Charles Graves, Mrs. J. A. Murphy. Mrs. U. G. Brewster, 

well where the stock was watered with its cov- 
ering of boards in the midst of Campbell's lawn. 
That stood outside of the east fence to the barn- 
yard and the water was run through a pipe into 
a trough in the yard. A pair of bars opened the 
way from the street into the barnyard. Where 
Campbell's residence stands was a tenant house 
belonging to the farm. 

"Down here on Main street, along in front of 
Will Church's and G. H. Northup's residences, 
extending to Campbell's store, was a pond over 
which I have poled myself on a raft when a boy. 

"I recall an old office structure — a small frame 
building— on the site of Campbell's store, which 
rested on blocks sawed out of logs to keep it out 
of the marshy ground and you got into the door 
by walking a plank. The pond is now replaced 
with a macademized street and fine lawns, and a 
modem business block stands in the place of the 
little shop on blocks. 

"When the cannon exploded on the Fourth of 
July which you have spoken of, a piece of the 
metal fell through the roof of the Presbyterian 



rs. C. H. Han 
Houston. Lower Row;— M 
H. Wethy. 



. Miss Carrie 
er. Mrs. Arthur Jur- 
Rollo Steward, Mrs. 



The Chapter started on its career with sixty 
charter members, and a charter was granted it 
by the Grand Lodge on Sept. 9, 1898. 

The first Worthy Matron and first Patron of 
the local chapter were Mrs. Bertha Kelly and 
Geo. W. Roe, respectively, who were both re- 
elected and held office for two years. 

They were succeeded by the following Worthy 
Matrons:— Nellie C. Graves: Jennie R. Foster; 
Ada A. P. Stewart; Minnie T. Hammond and 
Mrs. Lillian D. Kellogg, the present incumbent. 
The following are Past Worthy Patrons: — Sam- 
uel Cosad; L. H. Carris; and Lloyd C. Jones, 
who holds the oflice at this writing. 

Since the institution of the chapter it has in- 
itiated sixty-three members, and has at present 
a membership of 101. In its more than seven 
years of existence it has lost but four members 
by death. 

It is one of the most flourishing and useful 
orders in the village, and does much to promote 
right living and good cheer. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




A. B. Sabin, proprietor of the Sabin Hotel, 
was born in the town of Wolcott on his father's 
farm at Port Bay, the old homestead of which he 
is to-day the owner and in which he takes much 
pride. Mr. Sabin was a small buy when his 
father died. Leaving h( me at an lai Iv :.-'■ c h'l 
with a small cap.ttl from the sale . 'i :t i;. is,- 
he owned, he got into business in the \vt st w hei e 
he lived thirty-two years, and returned east in 
1892 after making a success in acquiring pr> p- 
erty. Leaving Oswego on a steamboat, a mere 
stripling, he went to Michigan. Missouii i.nd 
other states. In several places he became man- 
ager or owner of fine hotel property, especially 
, Mich., and in Hannibal, Mo, 
built up the busini 



in Kala 



and 
of hotels that 
had not been flourishing. 

In 1871 he married Estelle Bowen, a native of 
New York State, at Plainwell, Mich. They have 
one son, A. B. Sabin, Jr., who was educated at 
Notre Dame College, South Bend, Ind., and who 
is the manager of Mr. Sabin's farm. 



MJD3L FRUir FARM. OW.VED BY A. B. SABIN. 

At Manistee, Mich., on the lake opposite Chi- 
cago, Mr. Sabin lost every dollar he possessed in 
a fire which cleaned out the town and which very 
strangely sprung up the same <!ay of the Chicago 
fire. But this did not dampen his ardor as a few 
years later he succeeded in recovering all he had 
lost, and making even a greater success than be- 
fore. 

Since returning to Wolcctt Mr. Sabin h: s 
bought and sold different farms. He is now the 
owner of the splendid Webster The rn fruit farm 
of fifty-four acres near the lake, in which he 
takes a good deal of pride. This is without a 
superior in growing fruit. The buildings are in 
fine shape and the location is grand, giving a 
view of Lake Ontario. The residence is a four- 
teen-room house and there are on the place three 
good sized barns. One of them is 90x35 feet, 
another 30x42 and the third 32x20. 

Mr. Sabin has bought and sold considerable 
village real estate and is an active promoter of 
public affairs. He is a member of the Colantha 



V^ 


' ''mr^ 


1 .^ii^^'M 


h^'^.. - 




■^SjA 




^^m^^B; 





THE SABIN HOTEL. A. B. SABIN, PKOI'KIETOR. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




\V. KNAPP'S BAKERY AND CONFECTIONERY 

s, Mich., and the 
also the N. P. L. 



Creek Lodge, No. 725, 
I. O. O. F., and has 
been through all the 
chairs in that lodge. 
To Miss Cora Hough- 
taling of Westbury, 
Cayuga Co., N. Y., he 
was married Decem- 
ber 8, 1895, but she 
died in April, 1900, 
leaving two children, 
who since the death 
of their mother have, 
with their father, 
made their home with 
Gilbert Fisher, Mr. 
Kellogg's grand- 
father. 

Judgments Wound 
Up the Wolcott In- 
terests of Three 
Earliest Business 
Operators: Men who 
Purchased their 
Lands: — 



Lodge, No. .50, K. of P., of Ni 
Wolcott lodge of Odd Fellows 
of Wolcott. 

G. F. Kellogg opened a pool and billiard room 
in the Horton Block in October, 1903, and a cigar 
business connected therewith, equipping the 
place with the famous Brunswick-Balke-CoUen- 
der Co. 's tables which have the professional 
doweled slate beds and the best Monarch cushions. 
He conducts a popular resort for men who enjoy 
billiards or pool, or a good cigar. Mr. Kellogg 
was born in Wolcott and has always resided in 
the village or vicinity. He is a member of Red 



From Hiram Church's historical sketches we 
condense the following concerning the financial 
difficulties that wound up the Wolcott interests 
of Jonathan Melvin, Obadiah Adams and Adoni- 
jah Church. 

Jonathan Melvin, Adonijah Church and Jacob 
Viele were endorsers on Obadiah Adams' paper 
to the Geneva and Utica banks for money to 
carry on his business. 

Soon after 1823 his endorsed paper went to 
protest and it terminated in a suspension of most 
of his business operations. His endorsers made 
arrangement with the banks to put off prosecu- 




'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



tion for a time. Mr. Melvin had moved back to 
Phelps and Mr Church, on account of sickness, 
was unable to look after Mr. Adams' affairs. 
After consultation with Melvin, Adams built the 
blast furnace but his creditors dispossessed him. 

Judgments were obtained against Mr. Melvin 
and Mr. Church and on the execution of the 
judgments the sheriff sold the last of Melvin's 
lands in Wolcott, about 450 acres, now included 
in the corporation limits. In the meantime 
Adams was confined for a short time in the jail 
limits at Lyons. Melvin's farm in Phelps was 
also sold leaving him his only support a revolu- 
tionary pension. 

The sheriff also sold the farm of Adonijah 
Church consisting of 175 acres, but not until after 
his death. It is now the farm of Mrs. Wm. 
Button. The widow's right of dower— about 
$500— was all that was left to support herself 
and Ave children. 

Jacob Viele paid about $2,500 to satisfy the 
claims against him on the Adams' paper. 

Elias Y. Munson bought of the bank the land 
belonging to Adams including the tavern. He 
sold the farm on the north side of Main street, 
now including the site of the stores on that side 
of the street— to S. P. and C. A. Keyes and kept 
the tavern. 

The bank sold 250 acres of what Melvin owned 
—the "Black House" property— to David Arne 
for $17 an acre. Melvin's property on the east 
side of Mill creek the bank sold to Levi Smith 
who built the cobble stone house. 

Nathan Pierce, his son-in-law, built the White 
Hotel. [This statement is contradicted by these 
who say that it was built by Millington and an- 
other]. 

The balance of the Melvin farm, about sixty 
acres, taken by the bank, was sold to Hiram 
Bement from Vermont. It was later known as 
the Roswell Benedict farm. 

The Melvin mill property was sold to Dr. Tripp 
by the bank who also bought the residence of 
Melvin's son Alanson. This wiped out all of 
Melvin's property interests in Wolcott, as well 
as those of Adonijah Church and Obadiah 
Adams. 
School Acre Donated by Melvin Subject of 

Controversy when the Baptist Church was 

Erected — Settled by Arbitration: — 

The village green, including an acre of ground, 
was donated to the village by Jonathan Melvin 
in 1813 for school purposes, giving the privilege 
of religious worship there also. This was con- 
strued in many ways by later settlers when a 
controversy over the use of the public green had 
started. Some maintained that it meant the 
right of building a church. Others held that the 
lot was exclusively for a school but holding the 
district to the proviso that at all times, when 
not interfering with school purposes, the build- 
ing must be left open to religious services. 

ERECTION OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS. 

At first the school being erected — about where 
the present engine house stands — in 1813, it was 
used for all purposes, school, "strolling play- 
ers," knitting societies [now it is aid societies] 
and occasional preaching. Here Elder Butterick 
preached under the auspices of the Presbyterian 
Board which in those days kept traveling 



preachers in all of the thinly settled part of 
New York state. Then, no church society 
thought of building. But a few years later Oba- 
diah Adams bought and moved this school build- 
ing across the street for an addition to his tavem, 
and the district erected the red school build- 
ing still farther south. This was used for reli- 
gious services, entertainments, etc., and in 1840 
was succeeded by the new two-story school build- 
ing which was then considered an imposing 
school. This was bui-ned in 1865. After that 
the public school and Leavenworth Institute 
were united in the Institute building. 

CHURCH SITES REJECTED. 

In the meantime the different church societies 
when they set about to build turned their eyes 
upon the village green. Hiram Church has writ- 
ten that the Presbyterians and Methodists suc- 
cessively rejected a building site on the green 
and, as we know, built in other parts of the vil- 
lage. But the Baptist society claimed a building 
site there. Then arose the controversy over its 
location between the society and the school dis- 
trict. 

THE DISPUTE ARBITRATED. 

The course followed in settling the dispute has 
been told by Mr. Church as follows: "The op- 
position to the claim of the trustees of the 
church society became more bitter when they 
commenced their [church] foundation. Before 
going any farther they made a halt and the whtle 
question as to their right to build on the lot and 
how much ground thev were to occupy according 
to the conveyance given by Mr. Melvin to the 
trustees of Wolcott school district No. 1 was set- 
tled by arbitration, which was submitted to Judge 
Sisson of Lyons, Thomas Armstrong of Butler 
and Mr. Ferris of Cato," who rendered a decision 
in writing which gave the church the occupancy 
of the ground it had chosen for the foundation 
of the building and defined the limits of the lot, 
which the society has since occupied. 

First Famlies in Wolcott: How They Got 
Started for this Section:— "Dr. Zenas, Gen. 
Ebenezer and John Hyde, three eldest sons of 
Maj. John Hyde, with Osgood and Adonijah 
Church and Obadiah Adams {who married Eunice 
Church) and Jarvis Mudge, a drover who for 
years drove cattle and horses to the Philadelphia 
market," — such was the description of the first 
party coming to Wol ott to settle, which was 
written for a local paper in 1876 by Milton Barney 
at Brooklyn. Cal. They lived at New Marlbor- 
ough, Berkshire Co., Mass., and, except Gen. 
Ebenezer, they agreed to move to the "Great 
Sodus Bay country. " Mr. Barney wrote: "Oba- 
diah Adams was the pioneer merchant of that 
section. Zenas Hyde and his brother John had 
grown up children. The Church families were 
young. Jarvis Mudge's children were mostly 
grown. * * As I was passing from Wolcott to 
Clyde forty or fifty years since [between 1826 
and '36] I called on Deacon Abram Knapp who 
had moved from New Marlborough; they had a 
daughter, about my age, blind, who was preco- 
cious in learning from memory; they had also a 
son. Samuel, who was a preacher. Mrs. Knapp 
was the mother of Philo C. Fuller, who was 
Assistant Postmaster General for several years 
at Washington." 



■GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




Smith. Photo. KEEriLEK POST, NO. 55. G. A. K. 

Lower Row (left to right): — Isaac Vanderpool. Truman E. Mason. Samuel Bancroft. Irving Scott. Rev. 
Mr. Terwilliger of Port Byron. Abram Egnor. Joseph Reamer. Cyrus E. Fitch. Frank Lutes. Judson Boynton. 
Middle Row:— Joseph E. Lawrence. John Cowles. Aaron Chapman. Nelson- Taylor. Benjamin Sharp. Charles 
Sharp. Eron J. Peck. Upper Row: — Walter Scott. Irving Mclntyre. Nathaniel J. Fields. Robert Wolven. 



Keesler Post, No. 55, G. A. R., was organ- 
ized as Dutton Post. At a meeting of veterans 
in the law office of Col. Anson S. Wood, Past 
Department Commander of New Yorli, Aug. 5, 
1875, the Post was instituted. The following 
officers were elected and installed : Commander. 
George B. Curtis ; Senior Vice. James H. Hyde 
Junior Vice, Stephen E. Bullock; Adjutant, J 
M. Henslee: Quarter Master, Anson S. Wood 
Chaplain, Daniel Conner; Surgeon. Eben W 
Newberry; Officer of the Day, Thomas W 
Johnson; Officer of the Guard, Wesley Cole 
Quarter Master Sergeant. Robert Cole; Ser- 
geant Major, H. F. Blackmore. The other char- 
ter members were Lansere Porter, Elijah Angus, 
Irving R. Seeley, Cassius M Clapp, Albert Car- 
rier, John Miller, Ensign L. Calkins and Wm. H. 



Thomas. The Post grew from 18 to 200 mem- 
bers. Losses by death, transfers, etc., have 
reduced the number to fifty. 

A few years after the organization of the Post 
the present name was adopted in honor of three 
sons of Adam Keesler, all of whom enlisted at 
Wolcott and lost their lives in active service. 

In 1894 Henry A. Graves, Fletcher S. Johnson, 
William Paddock. Homer L. Rumsay, George S. 
Horton and U. G. Brewster presented the Post 
with a handsome memorial volume which is val- 
ued highly. Among the distinguished members 
since deceased were W. H. Thomas, Stephen De 
Voe, "the fighting chaplain" of the 9th Heavy 
Artillery, Dr. T. S. Fish, Stephen E. Bullock, 
Thomas W. Johnson. J. M Henslee, John L. 
Phillips, Wm. Rogers and Ethan Kellogg. This 




IKCLE. LADIES OF THE G. A. R. 

ram EKnor. Mrs. Helen Curtis. Mrs. J. E. Lawrence. Mrs. Cyrus E. 
-Mrs. Charles Miller. Mrs. Maria Vanderpool. Mrs. E. J. Peck. Mrs. 
[rving Scott. Mrs. Manley Cole, Mrs. Milton B. Wadsworth. Upper 
Richards. Mrs. George Waterman. Miss Ada Van Alstyne. Mrs. 



GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




Smith, Pho 



WOLCOTT LEGION. NO. 



Reyn 



Lower Row (left to rightl:— Mrs. Lemuel Wadsworth. Mii 
W. Smith. Middle Row:-Charles W. Walker. Miss Bertha Mott. Mrs. Wm. Reynolds, 
Mrs. David Doolittle. Miss Belle Mott. Charles Lawrence. Newton Greenizen. Upper 
Row:-Lewis W. Knapp, J. R. Waldorf. Miss Edith Vanarsdale. Mrs. Augustus Love- 
joy. Miss Pearl Doolittle, Halsey Lovejoy. Mrs. Newton Michel. Lemuel Wadsworth, 
Harvey Chapin. 



Post was distinguished by Col. Anson S. Wood 
who was Commander of the Department of New 
York. 

Logan Circle, No. 29, Ladies of the Grand 
Army of the Republic, was organized June 26, 
1901, by Mrs. Mary E. Hancock of Fulton, Past 
President of the Department of New York, with 
eighteen charter members. The following offi- 
cers were elected and installed: President, Mrs. 
J. E. Lawrence; Senior Vice, Mrs. Anna Han- 
ford; Junior Vice, Mrs. Irving Mclntyre; Treas- 
urer, Mrs. E. J. Peck; Secretary, Mrs. Fred 
Fitch; Chaplain, Mrs. Cyrus E. Fitch; Conduc- 
tor, Mrs. Charles Miller; Guard, Mrs. Helen 
Curtis; Assistant Conductor, Mrs. Geo. Mitchell; 
Assistant Guard, Mrs. Manly Cole. The Circle 
and Post have always worked in harmony, most 
members of the latter being honorary members of 
the Circle and having a voice in its deliberations. 



Wolcott Legion. No. .305, N. P. L., was or- 
ganized in 1899 with forty-five charter members, 
including many prominent citizens of the village. 
Its growth has been steady and in the past year 
the membership was increased 180, and there 
was paid out on policies that had matured $24,- 
000, during this one year. It has now the sec- 
ond year held the prize banner of Wayne county. 
The " oflicers are : President, Mrs. David Doo- 
little; Past President, Mrs. Charles Trickier 
Vice-President. Mrs. Edward Robbins; Secre- 
tary, C. W. Smith; Treasurer, J. R. Waldorf 
Chaplain, Rev. Jennie I. Pitts; Conductor, Mrs. 
Wm. Reynolds; 0. G., Sidney Jones; Organist 
Mrs. Newton Michels. 

Gas and OiL— The Wolcott Gas and Mining 
Company sunk a well in the village of Wolcott in 
1887, to the depth of 2,700 feet and found both 
brine and natural gas. 




LADIES' AID, METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH. 



Centre of Lower Row:-Mrs. Jennie I. Pitts. At her right hand: Mrs. Wealthy 
Campbell and Mrs. N. Stage. At her left: Mrs. Bertha Wicks and Mrs. Celia Miller. The 
girl: Mabel Brown. Upper Row I left i 

Mrs. E. Bennett. Miss Mat 

Brown. Mrs. Julia Pringle, 



rightl:-Mrs. Nellie Curtis. Mrs. C. Merrill. 

._rs. Libbie Cole. Miss Lulu Wicks. Mrs. Rose 

; Minnie Sherman. Miss Grace Pit 



. Cora Porter. 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF V.OLCOTT. 



The First National Bank of Wolcott, N. Y., 
was organized and opened for business Aug. 19, 
1901. There were elected for directors, who are 
also the present Board of Directors having since 
served continuously, Charles H. Palmer, George 
S. Horton, G. H. Northup, J. G. Strait and E. 
D. Scott. Mr. Palmer, who is connected with 
the Traders' National Bank at Rochester, was 
elected president, G. S. Horton, vice-president, 
and E. D. Scott, cashier, all of whom constitute 
the present officers. Lewis M. Mead is the 
bookkeeper and Lizzie Mead the assistant book- 
keeper. 

The opening of a National Bank, the first one 
in the village, was an important step introducing 
Wolcott to a new business era. It made money 
more elastic and rates better in the community 
and gave to the business interests a greater de- 
gree of confidence in a prospective expansion of 



terprise is a guarantee of its absolute safely and 
continued financial success. 

Amos Nash, who only a few days before his 
death which occurred June 22, 1905, gave inter- 
esting reminiscences [see page 33], was town 
clerk seven years, supervisor one year, road 
commissioner, overseer of the poor, president of 
the village and village trustee. In his prime he 
was a large, powerful man and it is said a con- 
stable who was physically undersized, was ac- 
customed to call upon Amos to make arrests 
where a powerful man was necessary. Amos 
loved a joke and could take one. The story is 
told that once while pushing a prisoner ahead of 
him by main force Amos met his first "Water- 
loo." The prisoner suddenly dropped and as. 
Nash by his own momentum plunged forward, 
the prisoner lying on his back raised his captor 







'^1^.- 





Borrowed Pho 



THE FIRST NATIONAL BANl- 



)f VVOLLin I 



trade. For public confidence in a National Bank 
induces new enterprises to come to a village in 
preference to going where there is none. Every 
person and business man having banking to do 
hereabouts is being benefited directly and indi- 
rectly by the First National Bank. That the 
public appreciates this fact is shown by the 
growth of the institution. 

Its resources when opened a month, as shown 
by its first statement, Sept. 30, 1901, was $61,- 
000. The statement Nov. 10, 1904, a trifle over 
three years later, shows $261,000 resources. The 
bank pays taxes on about $35,000. No enterprise 
here since the organization of this bank or for 
.some years prior to it has benefited the commu- 
nity more than this. 

Through the enterprise and business foresight 
of its organizers Wolcott has the prestige of a 
firm, expansive and progressive National banking 
institution, which carefully safeguards the inter- 
ests of its customers. The successful business 
experience of the persons interested in this en- 



above him with arms and feet and tossed him to 
the ground quite a distance ahead. Before Nash 
regained his feet the prisoner had taken leg bail. 
Slave Labor on Great Sodus Bay Cleared Land 

at Port Glasgow; Helmes' Plantation and 

What Came of It:- 

That beautiful section of shore overlooking 
Great Sodus Bay at Port Glasgow was cleared 
by slave labor. In 1800 Thomas Helmes came 
from Maryland with seventy slaves and took up 
two or three hundred acres of land. He put his 
negroes at work clearing away the brush and 
cutting. down the trees. They were not adept 
with the use of the axe and Helmes, who had 
been at considerable expense in starting the 
undertaking with so many slaves to feed where 
supplies could be obtained only at large cost, 
found his dream of a new Maryland disappear- 



■GKIPS" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




ing. He was not the best t;?mpered man and 
the incompetency of slave labor in clearing away 
virgin forest did not improve it. He found it 
more expensive than free labor. 

Then, when winter arrived the slaves could not 
stand the severe weather and were helpless from 
suffering or died. 

Helmes drove his slaves severely in his efforts 
to make good his losses but it was useless. He 
found that the scheme must be abandoned. One 
night three of his negroes took to an open boat 
and paddled up the bay disappearing in the new 
country to the south. They were tracked only a 
short distance. 

The following day most of the negroes rose in 
revolt. Helmes and two white men with guns 
succeeded in restoring order only after one of the 
negroes had been shot. 
His body, it is said, was 
buried in a cove near 
the water a few rods 
north of Port Glasgow. 

Helmes did not lone 
survive the openinu nt 
his plantation Hi- 
slaves, with a few e\ 
ceptions— those who 
disappeared — wtu 
taken back to Mai \ 
land. 

Railroad - The 
Lake Ontario Shoie 
Railroad wah com- 
pleted through the 
town of Wolcott in 
1874, work on its con- 
struction being begun 
in 187L The town was 
bonded to the amount 
of $139,000 drawing 7 
per cent. On Feb. 1, 
1882, the bonds were 
exchanged for 5 per 
cent, bonds. 



Edward H. Kellogg, a practicing lawyer 
prominent in the legal profession and in politics 
throughout Wayne and adjacent counties, was 
born in Wolcott village December 22, 1855. His 
father. Dr. A. D. Kellogg, then a practicing 
physician of prominence here, moved to Wolcott 
from Cato, Cayuga county, in 1845, at a period 
when men of the most vigorous character had 
begun to push the village to the front of Wayne 
county villages. Attorney Kellogg was educated 
in the Leavenworth Institute and after finishing 
an academic course began the study of law with 
William Roe and Jefferson W. Hoag, being ad- 
mitted to practice at the bar in June, 1881. Mr. 
Kellogg married Mary Lillian, the daughter of 
Wilson De Witt, an old Wolcott family then liv- 
ing at Rochester, in that city Jan. 18, 1888. 

The practice of Mr. Kellogg, upon which he 
entered Jan. 1, 1882, has been extensive and 
successful, which although general in scope in- 
cludes negligence htigation as a specialty. Two 
prominent cases in which Mr. Kellogg won re- 
sulted in two judgments for Mr. Kellogg's clients 
aggregating $50,000. The cause was that of two 
insurance companies against the New York Cen- 
tral Railroad Company of which one sued for loss 
of a malt house at North Rose by fire and the 
other for loss of its contents. Mr. Kellogg has 
served as Justice of the Peace twelve years and 
Police Justice nine years. He was four times 
elected clerk of the Board of Supervisors, the 
first time in 1889. In 1894 he was elected Dis- 
trict Attorney of Wayne county, and in 1897 re- 
elected to that office. He is a member of the 
Board of Education and has been twelve years 
past ; and he is active in the Masonic order. 

Mr. Kellogg was a loyal Republican until the 
second McKinley campaign when he broke away 
from the party because of its imperialistic pol- 
icy. 

Drum Corps.— The Wolcott Military Drum 
Corps was organized in 1896 and has fifteen in- 
strumentalists. A. T. Phillips is the musical 
director, Clark Lefevre the president, and C. W. 
Smith the secretary and business manager. 




JAMES COOK. 



VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. 
FRED BENJAMIN. 
M. E. CORNWELL. GEO. S. GRAVES. 



■GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




O. M. Curtis in 1896 brought into the village 
of Wolcott what it had long needed and what no 
up-to-date village can dispense with, an elec- 
tric lighting plant, and the success his venture 
has met with is both creditable to the community 
that patronizes liberally modern methods and to 
Mr. Curtis, whose conduct of the enterprise de- 
serves good patronage. The plant includes an 
Atlas-Corliss engine, besides a reserve engine 
and double boilers, and the necessary dynamos. 



and has the capacity for handling 3,000 lights. 
It is the latest and best of electric lighting 
plants, newly equipped throughout, and is kept 
as clean and in as good order generally as com- 
petent hands and close attention can give it. 
While there are wired in 2,000 lights the service 
is steadily increasing, lighting the new buildings 
that are going up and the old ones that are being 
improved. The street lighting is with the Gen- 
eral Electric enclosed arcs that were put in new 
four years ago. 

In connection with the electric lighting Mr. 
Curtis owns and operates the foundry which was 
established in 1845 and is widely known through- 
out this section. Here he manufactures the 
popular Giant fruit evaporator and the Giant 
heating furnace, both inventions of his own pat- 
ented in the United States and Canada and sold 
very largely in both countries. These have been 
developed to the most practical point, and are 
giving excellent satisfaction, giving to Wolcott 
a high reputation in that line. Mr. Curtis started 
in with a crude sheet iron evaporator which sold 
largely to fruit growers when it was customary 
for them to evaporate their own fruit and iii 
small quantities, and by elaborating the original 
idea he secured a highly practical evaporator to 
use on a large scale. 

This foundry is one of the old time institutions 
of Wolcott. It was established in 184.5 by Allen 
Rice and Joseph Vernoy. The next owners were 
Rice & Taylor who were succeeded by Wm. 
Hamilton and afterwards by George B. Curtis 
and Jerome P. Sheldon. Mr. G. B. Curtis con- 
tinued his connection with the foundry until it 
finally passed into the hands of his son. Those 
who succeeded Jerome P. Sheldon as Mr. Curtis' 
partners were Chauncey P. Smith, B. F. Peck, 
E. J. and John Peck and Nathan Knapp. In the 
fire of 1876 which swept off the east side of Mill 
street this foundry was totally destroyed. A 




['HE ELECTKH: LIGl, 



ILDING AND KOUl 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF W0LC01T. 



much better building was erected with brick, 
and is much larger; replacing the old wooden 
structures with modern and more imposing 
buildings. 

0. M. Curtis was born in the village of Wol- 
cott May 9, 1867, and was educated in the public 
schools of Wolcott, Sodus and Albany. For a 
time he was bookkeeper for Conrad Ruso at 
Albany, then he farmed at Sodus three years. 
In 1887 he took the Curtis & Knapp foundry. 
Mr. Curtis married Corilla A. Borradaile of 
Sodus Center December 12, 1888, and they have 
two children, Helen Lucille and George Graydon. 

Senators from Wayne Co. : — Armstrong, 
Thomas 1830-'7; Clark, William, 1854-'5: Cuyler, 
Samuel C. 1856-'7; Green, Byram 1823-'4 Robin- 
son, Thomas 1884-'5; Sherwood, Lyman 1843-'4: 
Saxton, Charles T. 1890-'4; Williams. Alexander 
B 1858-'61; Williams, Stephen K. 1864-'9. 



Vantassel had previously contracted for and 
moved in about 1813. He and his two sons were 
noted as being great hunters — more particularly 
in killing bears, which were at that day often 
seen when passing through the forest. Carpen- 
ter Wisner stated that his father, himself and 
brother John had killed nine large black bears in 
the old town of Wolcott. 

Moses Wisner, a brother of James, settled on 
the lot that Obadiah Adams had previously con- 
tracted about two miles east of Sloop Landing 
in 1816. 

Nathan Cook settled on the farm previously 
bought of Elikam Tupper, about 1818. 

WEDDED SCHOOL MARM. 

Jedediah Wilder purchased of Samuel Mellen 
the fulling mill and the present site of the Meth- 
odist church in 1815. He carried on cloth-dress- 
ing and carding for several years. His purchase 





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i4J- 


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Smith. Photo. THE ELECTRIC LIGHT PL.^YNi. ; 

Early Settlers Described by an "Old Timer," 

now Deceased; Men Who Bought of Land 

Contractors: — 

Hiram Church has written of some of the early 
settlers as follows:— 

Jesse Mathews was elected Supervisor in the 
town in 1817, and held the office of Justice of 
the Peace for several years. 

Daniel Roe, Sr., came in and bought Aaron 
Hoppen's land contract in 1812. [See "Land 
Contracts'" another page]. 

Lot Stuard settled on the lot previously pur- 
chased by Alpheus Harmon, and he built a double 
log house and kept a tavern. 

The town meetings were alternately held at 
Lot Stuard's and Obadiah Adams' until the divis- 
ion of the old town of Wolcott. 

SLAUGHTER OF BEARS. 

James Wisner settled on the lot that Robert 



HOWLNCj bllj LOKLl^.> L^i.LvL 

was previous to his marriage— his intended was 
teaching the district school at Wolcott at t! at 
time. She was the daughter of Henry Wei ^ of 
the town of Sodus. They wei-e married ;;( on 
after the close of the summer school. Mr. 
Wilder, who was successful, sold his fullirg mill 
and house to Roswell Benedict about the year 
1826 and the same year purch; sed and movtd on 
the farm of Deacon Zenas Wheeler. 

Zenas Wheeler came to Wolcott in the spring 
of 1808, a young and single man, and was a team- 
ster for the Churches when they came from 
Massachusetts to Wolcott. He was ninety-five 
years old when he died. 

Lambert Woodruff came as early as 1808 End 
purchased about 500 acres, 400 of which joined 
the Black House farm on the north and extended 
to Furnace village. 

James Alexander came about 1809. He was a 
prominent man, serving as highway commissioner 
and in several other offices. 



GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTr. 




C. D. WALKER. 



J. WELLER CO.'s WOLCOTT PICKLE FACTORY. 



J. E. Lawrence came to Wolcott in 1872 and 
started in the marble business with A. B. South- 
well of Oswego in the old flatiron block Five 
years later Mr. Lawrence bought Mr. Southwell's 
interest and erected the building shown in the 
accompanying engraving. Mr. Lawrence has 
done a prosperous business in the same place 
ever since. His work is sold all over this section 
of the state and he has put up many large jobs 
in other states. 

The J. Weller Co.'s Pickle factory, located 
at Wolcott, N. Y., in 1902, is a striking illustra- 
tion of the results, important to a community, 
that may be accomplished by a large industrial 
institution locating there. 

The J. Weller Co. is a World-Size House in its 
own line— pickles, kraut, ketch-up, jellies, pre- 
serves, mince meats, and other condiments, giv- 
ing itself the reputation, par excellence, and 
establishing its success in one alone of its many 
products— the celebrated Acme Pickles. In the 
states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and 



New York this house has twenty-six factories — 
a business built up during a period of about thirty 
years. It owns a line of tank cars for shipping 
pickles in brine. The grit and energy of the 
business men who estabhshed and control it have 
done this. These facts are essential to mention 
here to give the reader a clear idea of the im- 
portance of this single business enterprise in 
Wolcott alone. 

The future of the Wolcott branch is very 
bright, because it has obtained the confidence of 
growers hereabouts; and more than that, because 
it is designed for a considerable local expansion 
and is also intended as the eastern headquarters 
of the manufactured product, or rather the sup- 
ply house for the east. Then, too, the agricul- 
turalists hereabouts have begun to comprehend 
the value of raising produce to be converted into 
pickles for money getting. Every season since 
the Wolcott plant was established has been cold 
and wet — unfavorable for raising pickle crops, 
yet beginning in 1902 with 150 acres the plant 
has gradually increased its source of supply until 
now it is receiving from 200 acres and paying 




iTowed Photo. J. E. LAWRENCE'S MARBLE AND GRANITE WORKS. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



out during the season as high as $17,000, which 
going to the farmers is by them distributed 
among the tradesmen of the village. 

For the farmer this is of great value. He 
realizes largely per acre, some here having ob- 
tained as high as $138 an acre. One farmer got 
$560 from five acres one year. This means the 
distribution of money for the raw products in 
the town of Wolcott and vicinity, when the sea- 
sons again become normal, amounting to as much 
as $21,000 for one year's produce taken in at the 
Wolcott factory. The system of cash payment 
at the factory on the delivery of the crop— the 
payment being made at a time of the year before 
the agriculturalist gets his money out of the 
average harvest, are strong inducements for 
putting a considerable acreage into produce from 
which the J. Weller Co. manufacture so many 
lines of table necessities. 



cans a day. Here the principal canning pro- 
ducts are vegetables, but a considerable quan- 
tity of fruit is also canned, and no doubt in time 
fniit will be handled in this factory as exten- 
sively as vegetables. Last year 12,000 bushels 
of apples were canned by this one plant; and 
both strawberries and raspberries were put up 
here. This season the acreage being cultivated 
for this factory consists of 225 acres in peas, 
100 acres in corn, 30 in string beans and 20 in 
strawberries. 

The extent to which the village and adjacent 
farming section are benefited is shown in the 
fact that last year The Twitchell-Champlin Co. 
paid out at their Wolcott factory $20,000. 

This Company are large wholesale grocers in 
Portland, Me., who are operating outside of 
Wolcott five other canning factories, including 
large canneries of fish in Maine. Their canning 




Photo. 



THE TWITCHELL-CHAMPLIN WOLCOTT CANNING FACTORY. 



The firm upon opening the Wolcott plant placed 
in charge of it a gentleman with a large expe- 
rience in the management of pickle factories, 
Mr. C. D. Walker. It is the policy of the firm 
to employ only that class of men. Mr. Walker 
has been fortunate in his dealings in this com- 
munity, and perhaps the house has been bene- 
fited by having a local manager who pleases the 
public. 

The Twitchell-Champlin Co.'s Canning 
factory was opened for operation in 1903 and its 
production the two seasons it has been running, 
as well as the promise of the current year, shows 
that this enterprise is taking the lead in this 
part of the state over similar institutions. Its 
output is about a million cans a year. The fac- 
tory buildings and the machinery are compara- 
tively new, and its productive capacity is 30,000 



business alone amounts to an enormous figure 
annually and Wolcott has been fortunate in get- 
ting one of the branches of a company operating 
on so large a scale and having the strong finan- 
cial standing that this has. Local capital first 
built the factory and partly equipped it about a 
year before The Twitchell-Champlin Co. bought 
and opened it. 

W. A. Buckminster, the manager of the Wol- 
cott factory has had an experience of fifteen 
years in canning and it is fortunate for the Wol- 
cott people that a man of his experience is in 
charge of this plant. He came the first year 
and it is to his credit that the factory has ob- 
tained the good will and support of the commu- 
nity. Mr. Buckminster was born in Stonington, 
Me., Nov. 16, 1863. He was married to Carrie 
F. Crockett of the same place in 1887, and they 
have four children. He is a member of the 
Masonic order and the A. 0. U. W. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




C. W. SMITH, the Souvenir Photographer. 

C. W. Smith, the artist on "Grip's" Histo- 
rical Souvenir of Wolcott began tlie photograph- 
ic business in Wolcott in 1897 in company with 
Stanton with whom he continued one year; after- 
wards with D. A. Foote three years. Mr. Smith 
now conducts the large Wolcott gallery alone. 
His work includes viewing as well as portraits, 
and he is an adept at bromide enlargements. 
During the Spanish-American war Mr. Smith 
was engaged in illustrating songs, that is making 
pictures from life to represent the essential fea- 
tures of a song and then transfering the views 
to lantern slides to be thrown upon a curtain as 
the singer proceeds with the song. His work in 
that line went out with the best known traveling 
companies all over the United States, and in- 
cluded the most popular song writers' works. 
Mr. Smith was born in Summitville, Coffee Co., 
Tenn.. in 1873. He married Anna M. Michel of 
Huron and they have three children, Durward, 



Corrine and Gladys. He is active in the Odd Fel- 
lows' lodge and holds high positions in the 
N. P. L. 

Dr. J. N. Robertson, the well known prac- 
ticing physician of Wolcott, has followed his 
profession successfully in this village for more 
than a quarter of a century. Active in public 
matters the doctor has taken no small interest 
in promoting the welfare of the community. As 
a member of the Board of Education at the time 
the handsome pubHc school building was con- 
structed he assisted materially in not only se- 
curing the best construction of the new building 
but personally planned the sanitary conveniences 
that have made the school a modern structure. 
He was a member of the Board twelve years and 
served some time as president of the Board. 
He also served as Health officer of the town 
and village several years. 

Dr. Robertson was born in the town of Wol- 
cott June 10, 1853. Daniel Robertson, his grand- 
father, a native of Scotland and a branch of one 
of the old Scottish families, was an early settler 
in Wolcott and it was he who cleared the land 
now known as the homestead, five miles east of 
Wolcott village which is still in the family. Dan- 
iel also developed the iron ore bed known as the 
Devoe, which supplied ore for the old furnace. 
John, his son, who married Harriet Cooper, took 
the old farm and fully developed and improved 
it. 

Dr. Robertson received his early schooling in 
Union Seminary at Red Creek. Teaching school 
and employing private tutors he prepared for 
higher studies afterwards taking two years of 
college work. He began reading medicine with 
Dr. F. M. Pasco of Red Creek and two years 
later went into the office of Dr. R. N Cooley of 
Hannibal Centre, N. Y. Graduated at the Uni- 
versity of Vermont in 1877 he first practiced 
medicine at Sterhng Valley, beginning in 1878 
and continuing until 1879 when he located in 
Wolcott. 

Dr. Robertson since completing his medical 
studies has taken a post-graduate course in New 
York, where he had the advantages of hospital 
practice and the most difficult cases came under 
his personal observation; this he has followed 
by occasional trips to New York for the purpose 
of keeping in touch with advanced ideas in med- 
ical knowledge. 




N. HDI'A-jn 



KUBEKTSONS RESIDENCE. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



On December 1, 1880, he married Anna May 
Howard of Sterling Valley and they have one 
daughter, Eva Lucille, born July 23, 1885, and 
who is now in Wellesley College. Dr. Robert- 
son is now elder of the Presbyterian church, 
elected in 188.5. He is also a member of the 
Masonic order. 

Reminiscences of Wolcott, 1817-'26; Chester 
Dutton's Writings Describing the Early Fam- 
ilies; Took Fourteen Days to Come from 
Auburn ; Owners of Wolcott Falls : Wool 
Carders.— 

Extracts from a letter of Chester Dutton to 
Mrs. A. J. Hovey:— 

"My wife's farm was the homestead of her 
grandfather, Lambert Woodruff. He built the 
house in the summer of 1817. The 'Black- 
House farm' was a tract of 800 acres (lying east 
of the Russell and south half of Col. Wm. Dut- 



but Wolcott with its water power was the logi- 
cal metropolis of a promising farming district. 

' 'A straight road was laid out to Sloop Land- 
ing, on Sodus Bay, whence sloops sailed to 
Kingston, Canada. 

"The Church brothers, Adonijah and Osgood, 
took the lots on the north and south side of the 
road west of Black House farm. They were 
neighbors of Grandfather (Lambert) Woodruff 
at New Marlboro', Mass. Adonijah, who built 
the house where you live (the two-story part), 
had no son, I think, but his daughter was the 
wife of Obadiah Adams, the Pierpont Morgan of 
the occasion, and Wolcott developed rapidly. 
But the Erie canal, which was completed m 1825, 
knocked the town out, incidentally bankrupting 
Adams, and his father-in-law, Mr. Church, and 
also Mr. Melvin who were his backers. 

"Lambert Woodruff, born in Watertown, 
Conn., in 1763, was a son of Capt. John Wood- 
ruff and Hannah Lambert of Watertown. Mr. 
Isaac Leavenworth of Wolcott, who attended 
the funeral of Capt. John Woodruff in 1799, said 




Smitla. Photo. 



WOLCOTT TENT 



K. O. T. M. 



Lower Row (seated: left to right) ;-E. J. Lasher, Hiram McQueen. George Bush. Ira Campbell. Lewis Wright. Lester 
Medan. Second Row: Charles Hurler. Alfred Michael. A. M. Jurden. Wm. Palmer. L. W. Knapp, J. R. Waldorf. Dr. S. W. 
Houston. Daniel Bennett. Third Row: Rufus Wadsworth. Wm. Silliman. Wm Brown, Roe Madan. Devereaux Cleveland, 
Andrew Thomas. Walter Messenger. Henry Wellet, Charles Miller, M. Cllne. Dr. D. B. Horton, Charles Pitts. Fred Bevier, R. 

H. Kelley, Frank Edwards, Ernest Wadsworth. Upper Row: Oliver Bennett, Harper, Lloyd Lewis. Earll Henry. 

Emmeiis Abbott. Wm. Bennett. Albert Richardson George Fox. Lucien Oathout. 



ton farm), on which the village of Wolcott is 
located. The land not sold for village residences 
continued to be used for farming, and the tenant 
occupied the 'Black House', which was built by 
the first owner, Mr. Melvin. I think the 800- 
acre tract was known as lot No. 50 and was the 
first lot sold in Cayuga county. There was no 
Wayne county then. The lot was so laid out as 
to include the Wolcott Falls and the spring near 
Mr. Merrill's place. 

"Grandfather (Lambert) Woodruff had heard 
of these features from hunters and hoped to 
secure them, but found the land already sold. 
He then bought about 600 acres adjoining lot 50 
on the north, securing the spring brook for stock 
water and the lower rapids of Wolcott creek, 
which his son John afterwards sold with ten 
acres of land to the Furnace Company for .$1,000. 
Mr. Jonathan Melvin, the purchaser of lot No. 
50, had a good farm in the township of Phelps, 



it was observed with military honors. Lambert 
Woodruff married Mary ( Polly) Nettleton. They 
bought a farm near the home of their parents, 
but after a few years sold out and moved to 
New Marlboro', Mass. 

"About 1807 they traded their New Marlboro' 
holdings (two farms and a grist mill), for 1,428 
acres in Williamson's Patent (some allotments 
were in Butler), and a little later started with 
their five boys and two girls and five yoke of 
oxen for their new home. Previous settlers had 
come by way of Geneva, but he proposed to come 
by way of Auburn. He hired men acquainted 
with the woods to help him through. They were 
fourteen days getting from Auburn to the east 
bank of Wolcott Falls. 

"Grandmother Woodruff used to detail their 
hardships and privations during the first years, 
almost weeping, while he would laugh at the re- 
cital, but at length would straighten his face 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



and say, 'I had my teams paid for and $500 in 
my pocket; and when that was gone we suf- 
fered. ' 

FIRST AND LAST OF WOOL CARDING. 

"Grandfather Woodruff's son-in-law, Mr. Mel- 
lon, and Mr. Mellen's son-in-law, Cyrus Churchill, 
in 1843 or '44 built a little wool carding and cloth 
dressing factory on the creek just below Leaven- 
worth Cemetery. The 'water privilege' had 
been first used for the same purpose by Caleb 
and Samuel Mellen who sold the business to 
Esq. Wilder, and he sold it to Mr. Galloway 
after whose occupancy it went into disuse. Mr. 
Churchill lived for a time in the garret of the 
factory and afterwards built a house near the 
cemetery and bought a road of Mr. Benedict. 
The house was later occupied by Mr. Dempsey, 



lodge to move to and work in Wolcott village for 
one year which was renewed from year to year. 
On February 10, 1884, the lodge was again 
burned out, where it was finely located in the 
west end of the third story of the Empire block. 
This time the lodge was insured. Nevertheless 
ts loss of valuable antiquities was irreparable, 
ncluding a charter for a Masonic lodge to work 
n the village of Wolcott which was signed by 
DeWitt Clinton, who was Grand Master of the 
Masons in the state of Mew York from 1806 to 
1819 inclusive. This lodge was disbanded during 
the Morgan excitement. The lodge soon secured 
rooms where it is now very pleasantly located. 

In June, 1889, by consent of the Grand Lodge 
this lodge was permanently located in the village 
of Wolcott. 
On the 7th of June, 1894, the name was 




Ph 



ITT 



Lower Row (left to light) -Di Houbton Plot Guiley. E T Philli] 
bert Wolvin C D Walker Next Row Noi ton Mei rill U G Biewste 
Jurden J E Muiphev Gerry Salisbui v Wm L>ttle Thud Row Geoi 
burgh. E. H. Kellogg. Roy Hendnck. Merritt Fenn. Dr. Day, Wm. Olm 
stead, Lemuel Sopher, Charles Graves, Ira Foster. Upper Row: Aide 
Moore, Charles Woodruff, Robert De Witt, Jr., Fred King, Philip Hamm 



IS Eugene Seymour Newton Dusenbury, Her- 
Dr D B Horton Dr L. C. Jones. Arthur M. 
ge Hoffman James Men ill, James Van Valken- 
;tead, Charlie Nichols, B. S. Worden. W. 01m- 
ri Hale. E. A. Wadsworth, E. J. Cornwell. B. T. 
?r, Charles Hammer, Wm. Palmer. 



and the factory was used for a tannery when we 
came west." 

Wolcott Lodge, No. 560, F. & A. M. — [By J. 
Byron Smith]. A charter was granted to Red 
Creek Lodge, No. 560 F. & A. M. on June 19, 
1865. The lodge prospered until the spring of 
1874 when a serious fire destroyed a large part 
of the business places of Red Creek. The lodge 
lost everything including books and charter, with 
no insurance. A new charter was granted June 
5, 1874. After this the lodge existed but was 
never able to regain its former prestige ; although 
the widow and orphan are living who speak in its 
praise. 

In 1880 a dispensation was granted for the 



changed to Wolcott lodge. No. 560, F. & A. M. 
The lodge has enjoyed a wonderful period of 
prosperity since coming to Wolcott. The mem- 
bership now numbers 144. 

The following is the list of those who have 
been Worshipful Master of the lodge, the names 
appearing in the order in which they were elect- 
ed:— Rev. S. P. Croshier; James H. Cooper; I. 
F. Mosher; F. M. Pasco; D. D. Becker; G. M. 
Coplin, Jr.; W. W. Lvttle; Charles Cromwell; 
J. Byron Smith; G. G." Salsbury; J. W. Hoag; 
J. Alden Hale; F. A. Prevost; John D. Otis; 
George W. Roe; R. H. Kelley; A. M. Jurden. 
The first four of this list are dead. 

The Present Oflicers:—W. Master, A. M. Jur- 
den; Senior Warden, J. A. Murphey; Junior 



'GRIP'; 



HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



Warden, F. L. Watson; Secretary, G. G. Sals- 
bury; Treasurer, N. W. Merrill; Chaplain, Dr. 
D. B. Horton; Senior Deacon, Dr. H. W. Day; 
Junior Deacon, M. H. Fenn; Senior and Junior 
Masters of Ceremony, Dr. S. W. Houston and 
C. D. Walker: Senior and Junior Stewards, 
M. VanPatten and H. R. Lyle; Marshal, W. W. 
Lyttle; Organist, B. T. Moore. 
Jonathan Melvin as Described in Historical 
Sketches Written by Hiram Church; An Ec- 
centric yet Loveable Character: — 
Jonathan Melvin, the first settler in Wolcott, 
is spoken of in one of the late Hiram Church's 
newspaper historical sketches, as first having 
located his family in an old log house. His first 
cleai-ing was about ten acres and he set out the 
first apple orchard in the town; it was very 
choice fruit and he procured it from Phelps, N. 
Y., his former home. 

"Other early settlers planted the apple seeds 
they procured" from the old Castle farm near 
Geneva. Mr. Melvin had a fine young orchard 



His hat, the old Yankee style, and to complete 
his suit always wore buckskin aprons — one for 
work and also one for Sunday-go-to-meeting; 
was very regular in attending religious meetings 
on the Sabbath. 

"He was a kind and good man, always ready 
to help those that were worthy, and was a man 
much loved by those of his acquaintances. 

"He was possessed at that time of a large 
property, had a splendid farm in Phelps of 500 
or 600 acres on what was called Melvin Hill and 
considerable personal property. The first set- 
tlers in Wolcott felt under great obligations to 
Mr. Melvin for the help they at that time re- 
ceived from him. He moved" back to Phelps on 
his farm about 1822; his son Alanson managed 
the farm at Wolcott. ' ' 

Croquet Played by a Wolcott Club.— Some 
years ago several business men of Wolcott main- 
tained a croquet club which frequently amused 
the public with games, good, bad and indifferent, 
on grounds in the rear of Turpenning's store. 
The rear windows in the business row along 
there afforded "reserved seats" for the ladies, 



M^?',^' 






THE PASTMASTERS. WOLCOTT LODGE NO. 



Hale. W. W. Lyttle, J. D. Otis. 



in Phelps and he frequently furnished those who 
wanted apples. 

OLD MILL SITE. 

"A year or two after Mr. Melvin came in he 
sold to Obadiah Adams his grist and saw mills, 
which now include the privilege and land owned 
by Mr. Rumsey and Mr. Middaugh: considera- 
tion $10,000." [See "Wolcott; Earliest Indus- 
tries," etc., page 4 for other sales of Melvin's]. 

MELVIN'S PECULIARITIES. 

"About the year 1813 Mr. Melvin built a large 
two-story frame house, and moved in the same 
ysar, on the rise of ground now owned by Willis 
Roe. It was a very substantial structure and 
his peculiar fancy was in painting. He painted 
the house black— as black as lampblack and oil 
could make it. It was the great wonder of all 
who saw it why he should fancy such a color. 
He was very peculiar about many things. He 
was asked how he could fancy such a color. His 
reply was, 'Like to see things correspond; if my 
character is black I paint the house so. ' 

melvin's SUNDAY APRONS. 

"The dress he wore was about as singular. 



many of whom were occasional witnesses of the 
game. That is to say, finding time heavy on 
their hands and desiring a bit of the spectacular 
the ladies would now and then throng windows 
overlooking the grounds where they could get 
points on the comparative virtues and weak- 
nesses of the sterner sex which were sure to be 
disclosed in a game of croquet. 

Willis Roe, George Roe, William Roe, A. B. 
Thacker, Stearnes Williams, Clinton Terpenning, 
George H. Russell, George S. Horton, George 
Graves, J. S. Terrill, F. S. Johnson and M. E. 
Cornwall were members of the club. The grounds 
were level and well cared for. They used small 
rubber balls and the mallets were tipped with 
rubber. As the passage through the wickets was 
narrow considerable skill was required to "carry" 
a ball any great distance. The records of those 
games were not preserved. A phonogra])hic re- 
production of what could have been heard on the 
grounds during one of the games would draw a 
large crowd of listeners in Wolcott to-day. 



HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




Smith, Photo. 

C. M. DELLING. 
Editor and Proprietor Wolcott Courier. 

C. H. Alien began the manufacture of fruit 
extracts three years ago and the purity of his 
extracts has given them a wide sale, making a 
reputation for the village in superior goods. Mr. 
Allen was for nineteen years a merchant in Wol- 
cott and he is widely known through the county. 

Charles M. Delling, editor and proprietor of 
the Wolcott Courier which he founded, issued the 
first number of that paper March 6, 1901, coming 
from Syracuse for that purpose and giving the 
people of Wolcott and vicinity what they de- 
manded but could not previously get, a good 
family, weekly newspaper for one dollar a year 
and the opportunity for good job printing at rea- 
sonable prices. The policy of the Courier is to 



boom Wolcott village as a matter of duty which 
it owes to itself and its constituency. This is 
the policy pursued by modern journalism today, 
whether in city or country, and the Courier is 
not behind the press in other fields in that re- 
spect. Mr. Delling was born in Minnesota, July 
11, 1857, and came to Wolcott in 1883. Three 
years later he went to Syracuse and was in busi- 
ness there five years. He has been connected 
with newspaper and job work twenty-five years. 
He is a writer of fiction and verse and has pub- 
lished books of his writings. 

Post Rider in Pioneer Days; The Route of the 
Mail: Dr. Arne kept the Mail in His Kitchen: 
"Giles Fitch was the first mail carrier," wrote 
Hiram Church in his historic sketches. "He 
carried the mail on horseback from the postoffice 
kept by David Arne at Wolcott to Auburn once 
a week and back. The mail route was south on 
New Hartford street to Spencers Corners via 
Eli Wheeler's, now [1884] H. H. Wheeler's, to 
Harrington's, now South Butler, via Morris 
Crow's, the Pine woods and Mosquito Point. 
There was then no postoflice between Wolcott 
and Seneca river. Later Mr. Fitch carried the 
mail with wagon and horses. The mail road was 
the principal traveled road from Wolcott to Au- 
burn for several years. 

POSTOFFICE IN CUPBOARD. 

"Dr. Arne was a practicing physician for sev- 
eral years. He was the first postmaster in the 
town. The Doctor being absent from his home 
most of his time and Mrs. Arne being always at 
home she was in fact the postmistress. The du- 
ties of the office at that date were not very labo- 
rious, nor much strife in procuring it. One can- 
didate in the field would be all that was known, 
and he not very desirous at that. A small cup- 
board in the kitchen department of the house 
was where the postoffice was kept. He had it 
for several years." 




rrowed Photo. 



C. H. ALLEN '.S RESIDENCE. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




;kaves. 



Henry A. Graves is one of the ulde&t ot 
the men engaged in business in Wolcott at 
this time. Some forty odd years ago Mr. 
Graves bought out the firm of Allen & Beard 
who were then carrying on a general merchan- 
dise business in a frame building on the present 
site of the Graves Opera House Block. Their 
business was founded some years prior to the 
time of Allen & Beard who succeeded A. Cook. 
He afterwards went to Seneca Falls in business. 

During the long period that 
Mr. Graves has done business 
in Wolcott his trade has been 
with a wide circle in the farm- 
ing community, and has in- 
cluded people residing in the 
small hamlets about Wolcott; 
so that few business men in 
the northern part of the coun- 
ty are better known than Mr. 
Graves. 

To him the growth and bet- 
terment of this village are of 
vital interest, and his time and 
means ai-e always to be relied 
upon to assist in carrying out 
a public project that admit- 
tedly tends to those ends. It 
is not overstating the case to 
say that H. A. Graves' opinion 
in matters of that sort carries 
much weight with the commu- 
nity and he is one among the 
first to be consulted. 

It was when he was presi- 
dent of the village— and to 
him belongs the credit of the 
initiation of the project — that 
the present effective fire de- 
partment was created. He 
was made the first fire chief 
to fully develop the plan of the 
department, and with the aid Smith. Photo 
of energetic men he succeeded 



in effecting his purpose. The 
details are fully discussed in the 
History of the Fire Department. 
He was retained as Fire Chief 
eleven years and the efficiency 
of the department is the fruit 
of his long and active service. 
He was president of the village 
four terms and has served as 
school trustee six years. Wol- 
cott village owes much to his 
public spirit and personal activ- 
ity, as it does to others with 
whom he has labored for years 
in making it the most progres- 
sive of Wayne county villages. 

H. A. Graves was born in 
Tullv, Onondaga county, Nov. 
10, 1836. George S. Graves, his 
father, was a manufacturer of 
cloth at that place. In 1844 the 
family moved to South Butler, 
which was the home of H. A. 
Graves until he was nineteen 
years old. He attended school 
there and afterwards was a stu- 
dent in the academies at Onon- 
daga Valley and McGrawville. 
Both mbtitutions in those days ranked high as 
schools for advanced scholars. 

Mr. Graves' first lessons in practical business 
came to him through his clerkship in the Com- 
munity store at Red Creek, when he was seven- 
teen years old. At Hall & Quivey's in the same 
village he also clerked awhile. Then he;went to 
Ottawa, III., and for three years engaged in bus- 
iness as one of the the firm of Graves & Chapel. 
The succeeding three years he was connected 




GRAVES' OPERA HOUSE BLOCK AND STORE. 



•GRIP S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




with a Philadelphia mapping house, after which 
with his brother, C. H. Graves, he engaged in 
trade at South Butler. From there he came to 
Wolcott, as above stated. Up to a year ago 
Mr. Graves handled evaporated fruit, beginning 
with "taking in" dried apples at his store and at 
last increasing his operations to a large scale. 
Mr. Graves did a large jobbing in evaporated 
fruit when he owned the warehouse now belong- 
ing to E. H. Reed & Co. In the fire of 1871 his 
place of business was burned out while he was 
in New York buying goods. The loss was con- 
siderable, but without delay he re-stocked an- 
other store and finally bought the building which 
he now owns and in which he and others are 
doing business. The upper part is an opera 
house, in which entertainments have been given 
for years, and which is an important institution 
for the village. Mr. Graves married Sarah Viele 
of the town of Butler, to whom was born one 
son, Charles Graves. 

Bonnicastle is located on the east shore of 
Great Sodus Bay six miles 
west of Wolcott and three 
miles south-east of Sodus 
Point. This resort is a pop- 
ular mecca for summer 
pilgrims, seeking rest and 
recreation where they can 
spend their time on the 
shore of a fine body of 
water, away from the dis- 
agreeable features incident 
to many resorts. 

Bonnicastle for fifteen 
years has been a famous 
picnic ground where the 
churches, Sunday schools, 
fraternities, and family 
gatherings have come year 
after year. Here they find 
clean greenswards and 
groves on high ground 



overlooking the lake with the usual out-of-doors 
amusements, croquet, swings, boating, baseball 
and driving. 

Bonnicastle has become widely known as the 
annual camping ground of the Soldiers' and Sail- 
ors' Association of Wayne county. This Asso- 
ciation, including the G. A. R. of the county, is 
chartered and generally turns out at these re- 
unions thousands of the Old Vets and their 
friends. Here they obtain spacious, clean and 
well shaded camp sites, with plenty of pure and 
wholesome water. There being no liquors sold 
at Bonnicastle the disorderly element never 
come here. One of these re-unions numbered as 
high as five thousand in attendance and 180 tents 
were put up. The camp is always continued an 
entire week. The association which has been 
coming to Bonnicastle for eleven years, experi- 
mented by going elsewhere and sufl^ered finan- 
cially for making the change. On such occasions 
people seek congeniality and rest which the 
changes did not offer. 

Mr. Cole keeps a gasoline launch solely for the 
use of his family and guests. It was built to 
his order and accommodates twenty-five passen- 
gers. Mr. Cole has owned the property and 
been located here seventeen years. It com- 
prises fifty-seven acres of lawns, groves, orchard 
and a vegetable farm, furnishing cream and 
vegetables for guests. There are also pretty 
cottages and sites for others. Mr. Cole was 
born in Seneca county and has been a resident of 
Wayne county thirty years. 

Sodus Bay; Magnificent Scenery; Splendid 
Summer Resort: The Indians who Frequented 
the Bay gave to it the name Assorodus, "sil- 
very water;" — 

There is no finer body of water opening inta 
the south side of Lake f^ntario. The bay enters 
a cove of the lake protected on either hand by 
headlands. Across its neck is about a mile. In- 
land it widens to the distance of four miles. Its 
length from north to south is nearly seven miles. 
The shore in many places rises to imposing 
heights, here and there forming bold headlands 
which make splendid sites for summer homes 
and which in some cases have been occupied for 
that purpose. The waters of the bay, well pro- 




BONNICASTLE. li. H. COLE. PROPRIETOR. 



•'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



67 



tected from the seas that at times roll up across 
the lake afford admirable sailing room. The 
islands offer camping and fishing grounds. Along 
the lake both east and west are fine drives over- 
looking on one hand the lake and on the other 
beautiful land scenery. 

HISTORIC SODUS. 

The historic associations give added interest 
to the bay for those who love to spend idle time 
dreaming of the past. There are few points 
along the beautiful Ontario that are better adapt- 
ed to summer visitors, and in the past few years 
Sodus Bay has grown in popularity. 

MAGNIFICENT LANDSCAPE. 

Mr. Charles Williamson, American agent for 
the Pultney estate who opened the country here- 
abouts to settlements in the latter years of the 
eighteenth century, in 1793 wrote of the scenery 
as follows— at a time before the country became 
settled; — "The first view of the place (Sodus 
Bay), after passing through a timbered country 
from Geneva twenty-eight miles, strikes the eye 
of the beholder as one of the most magnificent 
landscapes human fancy can picture; and the 
beauty of the scene is not infrequently height- 
ened by the appearance of large vessels navi- 
gating the lake." 

SUMMER COTTAGES. 

The erection of hotels and summer cottages, 
and the construction of trolley lines have in late 
years attracted many visitors to the Bay. The 
roads leading to many pretty villages in the 
vicinity have been greatly improved and those 
who are fortunate enough to recuperate at Sodus 
spend their time to advantage fishing, driving or 
sailing. 

Charles Point, Sand Point. Lake Bluff, Eagle 
and Newark Islands, Bonnicastle and Resort are 
famous summer home ports on the Bay which 
attract thousands of people annually. 

SODUS POINT EARLY HISTORY. 

Lake Port and City Once Surveyed and 

Plotted; Men who First Settled Here; 

Earliest Industries; Old Light Houses. 

Charles Williamson, the American Agent for 
the Pultenay estate, and at one time proprietor 
of all the section washed by Sodus Bay, in 1794 
selected the point on the west side of the entrance 
to the bay— now occupied by Sodus Point vil- 
lage — for a large town. No other place on the 
south shore of the lake offered as large and at- 
tractive harbor, and it was his design to provide 
conveniences for shipping the products of the 
new country he was then opening up to settle- 
ment to the seaboard by water. He cut roads 
through the woods from Palmyra and Phelps to 
Sodus Point, that the produce of the country 
several miles to the south of those places might 
be carted to his proposed lake port. 
BIG town surveyed. 

The survey of the proposed town was at once 
begun by Joseph Colt, who laid out a broad 
street, with a large public square, between the 
falls on Salmon Creek and the anchorage on the 
bay. The lots inside of the proposed corporation 



contained a quarter of an acre to a lot and those 
outside ten acres. The in-lots, as the first were 
called, were to be sold at $100 each and the out- 
lots at four dollars an acre. The farming lands 
in the vicinity were to be offered at $1.50 an 
acre. Thomas Little and one named Moflit were 
appointed the agents for the sale of the lots. 
built wharfs and boat. 
The same year (1794) Williamson erected a 
tavern and a wharf and launched a large boat. 
During the following year other improvements 
were made by him, including the erection of 
mills on the stream above the bay, so that in the 
course of two years he spent about $20,000 at 
Sodus Point. A big town with streets running 
at right angles and squares was laid out on 
paper, but very little was materially done to 
carry out his project. 

TAVERN AND MILLS. 

The tavern, which was a cheap affair costing 
about $500, was opened and for a while conducted 
by Moses and Jabez Sill. The grist and saw 
mills stood on Salmon creek two miles west of 
the bay. Both stood until about 1807 when they 
went down in a large freshet. A saw mill was 
erected about 1795 by Timothy Axtell for Judge 
Nichols. 

INDIANS called IT ASSORODUS. 

Among the early industries at the Point were 
those of John Wafer, blacksmith, David McNutt, 
shoemaker, and Capt. Wm. Wickham, James 
Kane, John McAllister, John Gibson, Thomas 
Wickham and a Mr. Sage, merchants. 

The first postoffice in the town of Sodus was 
established at the Point under the name of Sodus, 
an abreviation of the Indian name Assorodus — 
'Sodus. A few years later the Point was gener- 
ally called Troupville after Robert Troup of New 
York, but that name was never oflScially attached 
to the place. 

THE LIGHTHOUSES. 

The first lighthouse was built about 1820 and 
between 1828 and 1834 piers were erected by 
Wm. Barckley and E. W. Sentell, government 
contractors. Subsequently the lighthouse was 
rebuilt and a second one was erected. Since 
then breakwaters have been constructed and 
several appropriations have been expended in 
deepening and clearing the channel leading into 
the Bay. 

New Marlboro' Settlei's. — Those who came 
to Wolcott from New Marlboro', Mass., were Lam- 
bert Woodruff, Osgood Church, Adonijah Church, 
Zenas Wheeler, Jarvis Mudge, John Hyde, James 
Alexander, Dr. Zenas Hyde, Levi Wheeler, 
Roger Sheldon, Obadiah Adams, Deacon Ezra 
Knapp, Charles Woodruff and John Woodruff. 
Jarvis Mudge bought land and speculated in 
horses and cattle. He also largely engaged in 
lumbering. Dr. Zenas Hyde was a physician of 
note among the early settlers. Lambert Wood- 
ruff bought a tract of land north of the village, 
adjoining the Black House farm. 

Brick Yard back of the Churches. On the vil- 
lage green — in the rear of the site of the two 
churches— Nelson W. Moore burned brick for the 
erection of many buildings that were put up fol- 
lowing the fire of 1871. 




HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



WILLIAM BUTTON, 
William Dutton was born in Watertown, Ct., 
Jan. 14, 1824, the descendant of an English fam- 
ily that came to this country early in its colonial 
period, and of whom there was a long line of 
educators and Congregational clergymen, includ- 
ing a Governor of Connecticut who was William 
Button's uncle. When the subject of this sketch 
was fourteen years old he went to Mecklenburgh, 
then in Tompkins, now in Schuyler county. 



where he engaged in farm work summers and 
studied and taught winters. 

At the age of eighteen years he received an ap- 
pointment to West Point Military school through 
United States Senator Morgan of Cayuga county, 
going on foot to Aurora to solicit the honor from 
the Senator, without influence to support his 
claim. In 184i5 he was graduated at that insti- 
tution. While drilling a company on Staten 
Island he received a sunstroke which prevented 
him accepting a post in the United States army, 
located in California. That year he came to 
Wolcott to visit his brother, Chester Dutton. 
Having married about the time he left West 
Point he decided to make his home near Wolcott, 
and in March, 1847, he located on a farm near 
West Butler which he had purchased. Mr. But- 
ton's biide was Lucy J. Matthews, whose home 
was in Mecklenburgh. Their wedding occurred 
on June 24, 1846. 

At the time Colonel— then Captain — Dutton 
came to Butler he and Mrs. Dutton united with 
the Presbyterian church at Wolcott. Up to the 
time he left home for the army he was an active 
church and Sunday school worker, being the 
superintendent of the Sunday school and elder in 
the church many years and also conducting a 
Sunday school in "the schoolhouse at Whisky Hill. 
While' residing in Butler he taught school at 
times in the village of Wolcott and filled the 
offices of school commissioner for the county and 
justice of the peace. 

In 1851 he moved on to what has since been 
known as the Col. Dutton farm at Wolcott which 
he purchased of the Underbill estate the same 
year. He was elected member of assembly that 
year and served a full term. 

At the outbreak of the war, 1861-'5, he ten- 
dered his services to the Government and was 




Smith. Photo. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



accepted and appointed Colonel of the 98th regi- 
ment, New York volunteers, which he assisted 
in recruiting and drilling at Lyons. It was in 
April, 1862, that he was commissioned and went 
into active service. On July 4, 18<i3, at the home 
of an old classmate in New York he died, having 
been taken violently ill with typhoid fever at 
the battle of Fair Oaks, where he fell out of the 
saddle and was sent to the hospital, leaving 
many personal effects which fell into the enemy's 
hands. 

Mrs. Wm. Dutton at the age of eighty-four 
still resides on the old place at Wolcott with her 
daughter, Mrs. A. J. Hovey and family. Julius, 
her son, also resides there. Seymour, another 
son. resides at Perth Amhoy, N. J. Two sons, 
John and William, are dead. 

The Sodus Co-Operative Creamery Com- 
pany established the Wolcott branch in 1902 and 
placed Mr. Peter Langwell as the local manager. 
This creamery produces both butter and cheese 
and markets cream. The capacity is 1,500 or 



& Parks found a bed six miles east which sup- 
plied good ore for several years. On the death 
of Andrew Chapin Levi Hendrick and Uriah 
Seymour, who had been employed by the old 
firm, carried on the business. Seymour finally 
sold out and the furnace was carried on several 
years by Hendi-ick & Leavenworth. 

Butterfields —Jacob Butterfield, coming to 
Wolcott in 1811 bought three acres from Osgood 
Church and erected a tannery where he tanned 
leather and made shoes. His sons, Jacob and 
William, spoken of in the reminiscences else- 
where, hired or worked land on shares, on dif- 
ferent farms near the village, including ( accord- 
ing to Amos Nash) the Lambert Woodruff and 
the Ben Underbill farms. Amos Nash plowed 
the flats along New Hartford street while work- 
ing for one of them. They ran the stage line — 
or one of them did— in the palmy days of stage 
coaches; were in the hotel business and ran a 
liverv. 




2,000 pounds of butter a day, which is shipped to 
the large cities. As many as 180 dairymen sup- 
ply the creamery with milk. The cream from 
two other stations. North Wolcott and Westbury, 
is churned here. Last year over $40,000 were 
paid at this creamery for milk. Mr. Langwell 
has been with the company since it was started 
in Sodus, over ten years. 

Blast Furnace— This, the earliest big manu- 
facturing plant in Wolcott, was first erected in 
the gulf, in the present village limits about 1825, 
by Obadiah Adams, who thought that he could 
clear up his indebtedness by making plow cast- 
ings from the products of the furnace. A short 
time after it was started he was dispossessed 
and taken to Lyons, "on the jail limits" by his 
creditors. He soon obtained his liberty and 
went to Rochester. The timber used in this 
furnace was cut from the adjacent land. 

Soon after Adams' furnace shut down, Andrew 
Chapin came from Massachusetts and erected a 
blast furnace a mile north of the village on the 
creek, where a considerable bed of ore had been 
discovered. The ore proved worthless and Chapin 



Justices' Court Cases Prior to 1822— Jesse 
Mathews, a farmer out on New Hartford street 
who died in 1822 was justice of the peace. His 
"docket" is still in possession of his son [see 
Lawson Mathews' Reminiscences]. It is inter- 
esting as showing men in business and farming 
at that early day who "joined issue" in the Jus- 
tice's court. There are several pages in Jesse 
Mathews' own hand writing, not showing the 
cause at issue, however. Some have been copied, 
viz. : 

Zenas Wheeler and Lorin Doolittle, surveyor, 
V. David Arne, jr. 

Joseph Spencer v. John Grandy. 

Lambert Woodruff v. B. L. Clark. 

Asel Foster v. Peter Eastman. 

Richard Redfield v. John C. Smith. 

Benjamin Grunelin v. John C. Smith. 

Jacob Butterfield v. Peter Eastman. 

Zina Hull v. James Smith and Abijah Moore. 

Obadiah Adams v. Levi Savage. 

S. V. Ganet v. Thomas Foster. 



GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




^ND LUMBER OFFICES. ELEVATOR AND YARDS 



The Paddock Hardware Business, established 
in 1857 by W. W. Paddock, is now owned by his 
s m Wm. H. Paddock, who became a partner with 
his father in 1891 and who upon the death of W. 
W. Paddock in November, 1903, became his suc- 
cessor. The building in which the stoi-e is lo- 
cated and the storehouse in the rear are owned 
by Wm. H. Paddock. Plumbing added to the 
business in recent years is an important part of 
it. Two floors are occupied in the store, but the 
business has outgrown the storehouse and a 
larger building will be erected ne.xt year. In 
the meantime Mr. Paddock has had to resort to 
outside structures for displaying farm ma- 
chinery. The continued expansion of the busi- 
ness is fully assured. 

J. G. Strait began business in Wolcott on the 
present site of his lumber and coal yards in 1884 



and has since continued it in the same place. 
Mr. Strait bought the old Chapin & Tompkins 
chair factory and erected all of the present build- 
ings and yards. He handles principally the Le- 
high Valley coal, having an elevator which stores 
about a thousand tons. 

Osgood Church for five years was one of 
the agents of the Pultenay estate, from 1808 to 
1813. After that the business was transacted at 
Geneva. From Wolcott Mr. Church took pros- 
pective buyers over the adjacent lands and four 
years following the organization of the town he 
surveyed all of the roads. In 1814 he was elect- 
ed supervisor. His death occurred March 15, 
1815, and he was buried in the cemetery on the 
old Methodist church property. William Church 
is his sole survivor. 










THE PADDOCK HARDWARE BUSINESS. W. H. PADDOCK, PROPRIETOR. 



■GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



71 




CAMl 



;kk main 



W. D. Campbell, who is the oldest clothing 
man in town, began business in the corner block 
which now comprises a part of his place of busi- 
ness, in 1874. Before coming here he purchased 
the building on the corner of C. P. Smith, the 
ground floor of which had only a single store. 
In 1877 he built the three-story brick block ad- 
joining on Lake avenue, which with the other 
building gives him double stores. Mr. Campbell's 
lines are clothing, furnishing goods, hats and 



caps, (trunks, suit 
cases, watches, clocks, 
diamonds and jewelry. 
Sop her S( Wol- 
ven, who conducted 
the meat market on 
Lake Avenue, bought 
the Whitbeck market 
over a year and a half 
ago. They employ 
two wagons in deliver- 
ing meat through the 
adjacent country. 
The members of the 
firm are L. D. Sopher 
and H. J. Wolven, 
both of whom are ex- 
perienced in the busi- 
ness. 

.School Teachers — 
The earliest teachers 
in the public schools 
I if Wolcott included 
ST. AND LAKE AVE. the following:— Mary 

Woodruff, daughter of Lambert Woodruff ; John 
Melvin, son of Jonathan Melvin, Sr. ; Rev. Daniel 
Butterick, the earliest clergyman: Huldah Sey- 
mour, daughter of Noah Seymour who was after- 
wards Mrs. John Roe; Prudence Wells (Mrs. 
Jedediah Wilder; Wm. Plank, son of Elisha 
Plank; Loren Doolittle; Austin Roe; Harlow 
Hyde; Levi Hendriek ; Barabus Knapp; Mr. 
McFarlin; Willi.- K^.^ 




L. D. SOPHER. 



GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




I'HE HIGH SCHOOL OBCHESTR.^ 



Lower Row Heft to right):-EarIl Browr 
Mrs. Leon Strait, Arthur Fsh, Claud Mitche 
way. Halsey Lovejoy. Clayton Seaver. Prof. R 



Chester Dutton, born at Watertown, Ct., 
March 24, 1814, graduated at Yale in 1840, came 
to Wolcott in 1842 and about that time married 
Mary Mellin, the granddaughter of Lambert 
Woodruff. Chester Dutton is descended from 
Thomas Dutton who with his brother John came 
to Worcester, Mass., in 1630. Mr. and Mrs. Dut- 
ton succeeded to the Lambert Woodruff home- 
stead, now occupied by Mr. Mclntyre, and resided 
on that place until about 1867 or '68, when they 
moved to Cloud county, Kansas, with a family of 
seven children where since then they have resided. 
They were among the first white settlers on the 
Republican river where they passed through the 
trving ordeal of Indian alarms. The country now 



is largely settled and 
greatly improved, 
chiefly devoted to rais- 
ing corn and livestock. 
During the earliest 
years of their resi- 
dence in Kansas their 
home was the stop- 
ping place for home- 
seekers going west 
in "prairie schoon- 
ers," and they re- 
ceived the kindliest 
attention from Mrs. 
Dutton, which gave to 
her the name of ' 'moth- 
er of emigrants." 

Both are still living 
surrounded by chikh-en 
and grandchildren, Mr. 
Dutton ninety-one 
years old attending 
quite regularly to his 
business. Mrs. Dutton 
is eighty-seven years 
old. Both enjoy driv- 
ing and take long rides 
when the weather per- 
mits. 

The School; Some of the Early Teachers ; The 
Cost of the Handsome School Building:— 
It is not a meaningless statement to say that 
the big public school of Wolcott village where 
500 scholars are taught from the primary 
branches and including the preparatory courses 
for college work, is an imposing, handsome 
building, in all respects a gem There is no bet- 
ter public school edifice; that is, one more beau- 
tiful or convenient. Its beauty of architectural 
hnes is gi-eatly enhanced by the most favored of 
sites which the structure occupies — its command 
of the village from high ground sloping in the 
four directions to the streets enclosing it and 



Leon Bidwell. Theda Doud. Pearl Hayner, 
1. Upper Row: Ned Kellogg. Porter Brock- 
B. Gurley 




rHE HOARD OF EDUCATION. 
S. Roe. Dr. R. H. Watkins. Edward Kellogg. Standing: 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




Smith. Photo. LE.A.VENWORTH INSTITUTE 

embracing five acres of as beautiful a 



iND WOLCOTT HIGH SCHOOL. 



, rooms and an auditorium 
seating one thousand per- 
sons. It is' heated by hot 
air system and Hghted by 
electricity. The library 
comprises several hundred 
volumes of well selected 
reference works, text- 
books and standard works 
on history, literature and 
science and makes a com- 
plete t.working library 
opened to students and the 
public during sessions. 
The physical and chemical 
labratories are fully 
equipped with modern ap- 
paratus for full and com- 
plete courses in practical 
and experimental work in 
each subject. 

The school at present 
employs twelve teachers. 
Prepares for all courses in 
college. Has a State 
Training Class for teach- 
ers, and offers courses in 
music and painting. In 



mpus 

as a school ever had without an obstruction of 
any sort to mar its scenic effects, crossed by 
broad promenades leading in four directions be- 
tween rows of lofty trees and having a well 
graded athletic field. 

The building was erected in 1895, its cost, in- 
cluding all expenses connected with clearing the 
ground, being $27,000. The ground was that 
which the village already owned, the site of the 
old Leavenworth Institute originally the gift of 
Isaac Leavenworth, the founder of the Insti- 
tute. 

The building has sixteen lecture and recitation 



1901 the Regents gave the school the rank of a 
high school and the old Leavenworth Institute 
now bears the name of "Leavenworth Institute 
and Wolcott High School." 

The Leavenworth Institute building was erected 
in 1856, one-half of the cost being defrayed by 
the Hon. Isaac Leavenworth, who donated the 
site, and the other half by subscriptions. The 
old public hall in the village for several years 
was in this building. [See view of this building 
on page .31. Earlier school history of the vil- 
lage is to be found on other pages.] 

The first principal in the Institute was M. J. 




Smith, Photo. 



GRADUATING CLASS, WOLCOTT HIGH SCHOOL. 1905. 



GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




E. W. NEWBERRl'. 

Slee, and the first president of the Board of 
Trustees was Dr. James M. Wilson [See Frontis- 
piece.] 

When in 1865 the old public school building 
was destroyed by fire the Leavenworth Insti- 
tute and the Union Free school were consolidated, 
Nov. 1, 1865 and reorganized as Union Free 
School District No. 1 of the towns of Wolcott, 
Huron and Butler. The new district paid a debt 
of the Leavenworth Institute of $250 and re- 
funded $260 to the Leavenworth heirs. 

FIRST BOARD OF EDUCATION. 

On November 4, 1865, the following Board of 
Education was elected: — Dr. James M. Wilson, 
Jedediah Wilder. E. N. Plank, J. Talcott, B. F. 
Peck, Wm. H. Thacker, W. W. Paddock, T. W. 
Collins, C. P. Smith, R. Sours, J. S. Roe, L. 
Millington and R. Matthews. E. N. Plank was 
president, W. W. Paddock treasurer, and Ches- 
ter Dutton secretary and librarian. This was 
the first Board of Education of this village. 

The first term opened December 12, 1865, with 
John Teller as principal and Miss Tappan pre- 
ceptress. Among later 
principals of the school 
were Amos H. Thomp- 
son, Professor Hutton, 
M. T. Brown, C. T. R. 
Smith, Jefferson W. 
Hoag, Professor Bald- 
win, John T. Cothran, 
W. R. Vosburgh, Ed- 
ward Hayward, E. B. 
Nichols, John W. Rob- 
inson, E D. Niles, H. 
J. Walters, J. W. 
Fowler. H. N. Tallman 
and L. H. Carris. 

BOARD OF EDUCATION. 

President, R. H. 
Watkins, M. D. ; Vice- 
President, Willis M. 
Stone; Commission- 
ers, George W. Roe 
and E. H. Kellogg; 
Secretary, Joel Fan- 
ning. Employes, Al- 
fred Prevost, Truant 
Oflicer; Clark A. Le- 
fever, Janitor. 

[Continued on Pagre 81.] 



A. Wells 8c Co. formed the co-partnership 
two years ago to carry on the old established 
market which Mr. Albert Wells had been con- 
ducting for nearly thirty years. Mr. Wells has 
always been engaged in the meat business and is 
widely known throughout this section of the 
county. He has a farm just out of the village 
and the steer shown in the accompanying picture 
is evidence of the kind of stock he raises on that 
lace. 

Eben Wilson Newberry began business in 
V\)lcott in September, 1874, undertaking and 
anlvvare, at the corner of Main and Mill streets. 
11 March, 1884, he fitted up the old Presbyterian 
cluuch building on the south side of Main street 
for undertaking and the furniture business. 
Erom 1897 until 1902 he was in the middle west. 
Then be returned to Wolcott and is in charge of 
the undertaking business of his son, E. Merritt 
Newberry, on Lake avenue. E. M. Newberry 
runs the undertaking and furniture business at 
North Rose where he is erecting a large building 
for his business. As soon as it can be arranged 
E. M. Newberry will open a furniture store in 
Wolcott. 

E. W. Newberry was born in Huron, N. Y., 
June 3, 1841, and was educated at Leavenworth 
Institute and Falley Seminary. In August, 1862, 
he enlisted at Huron in Co. D, Ninth N. Y. V. 
Heavy Artillery. He was discharged in June, 
1865, having served until he was made prisoner 
of war in the defences at Washington and the 
Army of the Potomac. He was captured at the 
battle of Monococy July 9, 1864, and was in the 
rebel prisons nearly eight months, until he was 
exchanged near the close of the war, being con- 
fined at various places but a greater part of the 
time at Dannsville, Va. 

Mr. Newberry has been active in the G. A. R. 
since it was organized and is the secretary of the 
Ninth Heavy Artillery Association. He was 
formerly quite active in politics and has served 
as coroner of Wayne county twelve years. 

He has two sons and two daughters: J. Myrta 
of New York city, E. Merritt of North Rose 
and Mary A. and Bradner F. of Wolcott. 



HH 




PH 


^^^^H|^n >i 


1 WjmM 


ShI^ H^J^I 


^HH 


4^fl^ i 


H^yn 


^f^l 


sy 



WELLS & CO. S MEAT MARKET. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



The Palace Hotel was opened 
April 1, 1905, by Mr. Ira J. Foster, 
the present proprietor. Mr. Foster 
bought the building, the whole 
upper part of which is occupied 
by the hotel. The office occupits 
part of the ground floor and tin- 
other part is rented for a sturc. 
Mr. Foster has secured a central 
location and eaters to commerci: 
trade. He has conducted an hoti 
in Wolcott four or five years ami 
understands how to cater to tli- 
wants of the traveling public. 

J. A. Murphey's variety stcn. 
is an illustration of the success a 
hustling, energetic man may 
achieve. Erom a small beginning 
Mr. Murphey has built up abusintss 
which is one of the best paying 
and second to no other of its kind 
in Wolcott. In this store, packed 
to the walls with goods, is to be 
found most any article which a 
merchant is able to handle. Mrs. 
Murphey who understands trade as 
well as anyone assists her husband, 
and to her much credit is due for 
the success of the business. 

Mr. Murphey's first place of 
business was in the Northup 
Block, opened in 1884, where he 
handled sewing machines and musical instru- 
ments. Then he moved into the next store ( now 
Knapp's) where two years later he started a va- 




HOTEL 



M.^ 




SA .J. FOSTER, PROPRIETOR. 

Gradually he added new lines of 



riety store. 

goods until his regular stock comprised every- 
thing convenient to handle even to the outfitting 







MH. AND MRf. .1. A. MURPHEY. 



lURPHEYS VARIETY STORE. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



of a house. His next move was into the Kenyon 
Block (now J. S. Sherwood's store). On April 
1, 1895, he bought and moved into the building 
where he is now located, which he purchased of 
the T. W. Johnson estate. Here he has expended 
considerable money for improvements, including 
putting in steam heat and an acetelyne gas plant 
for lighting, and has room for a big stock of 
goods. His lines include variety goods and no- 
tions, glassware, house furnishings, crockery, 
dry goods, groceries, stationery, school supplies 
and ladies furnishings. 

Mr. Murphey was born in Victory, Cayuga Co. , 
N. Y., October 23, 1854, and was educated in 
Red Creek seminary. With that experience in 
trade which was possible as a traveling sales- 
man, he began business at Sterling, N. Y., after 
three years on the road and came from there to 
Wolcott in 1884. On December 26. 1878, he 
married Marion Timer.';on at Martville, Cayuga 
Co., N. Y. Mr. Murphey is active in several 
fraternal societies in Wolcott. He has served 
as senior and junior warden and junior deacon in 



resort for several years, and as a landing for 
smugglers before the period of railroads it pos- 
sesses historic interest. Before the present 
proprietor, it was the home and property of Col. 
Anson Wood. Mr. Eugene Russell bought it and 
has conducted it as a resort four summers. 

Its comforts indoors are those of home for 
Mrs. Russell presides in person over that part of 
Russell Island. The table she sets does justice 
to the highest skill in cooking, and her welcome 
of guests is cheerful and inviting. 

Rowing, croquet, swinging, swimming and 
driving are pastimes here in midsummer. Open 
seasons for pickerel and black bass bring liberal 
rewards for fishermen : and good perch fishing 
is to be had at any time of open water. 

A bold shore line affords easy and safe sailing 
in the lake— eastward to Fair Haven or west- 
ward to Great Sodus Bay, each seven miles from 
Russell's Island. 

The shooting season is of prime interest to 
numerous hunters who come to this place for 
sport of that sort. Mallalrds and Black ducks 




iuu; 



I'HE BAY LANDING. 



the Masonic order and has passed all of the chairs 
in the Odd Fellows. 

Russell's Island lays in the north-west angle 
of Port Bay outlet into Lake Ontario, on high, 
rolling ground. The buildings, twenty rods from 
the shore of both lake and bay, are sheltered 
from the winds that come in from the lake by 
rising ground from which the eye can sweep 
miles of watjr and farm lands. The place, 
though an island in fact, is accessible over car- 
riage roads, and contains 260 acres, furnishing 
to guests of the house fresh farm, garden and 
dairy productions. The driving distance to Wol- 
cott — the postoffice and railroad station — is three 
mdes. The Bay off Russell's landing place is 
two miles wide— protected from the winds and 
currents of the lake by a bar nearly enclosing 
it— and penetrates inland nearly three miles 
like a long, broad river, sweeping in open 
curves through famous duck shooting marshes 
and between headlands, grassy slopes, timbered 
bluffs and reaches of cultivated lands opening to 
view a mile or more from shore. 

Russell's Island has been a favorite summer 



are shot on the marshes at the head of the bay, 
while Butterballs, Canvass Back and Redheads 
swarm the open waters at the outlet. 

Spring water on the island is sweet, cool and 
abundant. Mr. Russell takes personal interest 
in looking after his guests, and they appreciate 
his attentions. Those who notify him of their 
coming before hand he will meet at the trains at 
Wolcott with conveyance. Correspondence [ad- 
dressed Eugene Russell, Port Bay, via Wolcott, 
N. Y.] will be promptly attended to. 
Smugglers at Port Bay; Shooting of a Cana- 
dian and Like Casualty to Wayne County Man; 
Casks of Spirits Carried Back Country and 
Bartered to Buyers in Hay Barns; — 
The coves and bluffs outside and inside of the 
bar closing Port Bay are "historic spots." The 
shooting of Old Delbrook, a Canadian adven- 
turer, early in the last century, occurred inside 
of the bay where the west shore line curves 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



toward the outlet, a few rods north from Rus- 
sell's boat landing. 

The revenue officers coming up from the lake 
on the opposite side of the summit fired into the 
darkness below. 

Delbrook's party got into the willows opposite 
Beaver Head to which they crossed the follow- 
ing night with the wounded man and before 
morningj'had him safe in an outhouse in the east- 
ern outskirts of Wolcott village. But the man 
died. 

BODY FOUND IN BUSHES. 

A well known farmer of Wolcott lost his life 
in about the same manner, except that he was 
left injthe bushes before the boats had crossed 
to Beaver Head, where his body was afterwards 
found and buried. 

smugglers' roads for escape. 

Along the east side of Russell Island was a 
heavy fringe of willows, a covered way for es- 
caping boats. 

The bar covered with brush afforded another 
between the two shores of the bay where 



and sires of Wayne and Cayuga counties of a 
century ago, got wind of the hour set for landing 
a cargo— always at night; and towards morning 
they would appear— after the schooner had 
tripped anchor. The casks in the meantime had 
been quickly stowed in the dark recesses of the 
shore. And by approaching twilight they might 
be seen borne away in several directions on the 
shoulders of lusty fellows who, one by one, were 
stealing home with their booty. Many an inno- 
cent looking hay barn was the "trade room" for 
bartering concealed spirits several miles away 
from the lake. 

Every expedient that could be devised to in- 
sure secrecy was adopted. Many expedients 
were necessary to get "the goods" ashore. Im- 
mense profits were awaiting those who got the 
casks and contents safely into a hiding place at 
home, and so they took bold and desperate 
chances. 

Port Bay and East Bay were made for ren- 
dezvous as circumstances dictated. But many 
of the best families were engaged in carrying off 
smuggled goods, and so for thirty and forty years 
beginning the last century smuggling at these 




Smith, Photo. Russell Island. Outlet. Bar. Deseborough Park. 

PORT BAY. LOOKING OVER BAY AND LAKE, NORTH FROM EAST ROAD ON THE HILL. 



good sprinters in the darkness of night could 
escape pursuit. 

Revenue officers never ran very hard or very 
far on such occasions, for escaping smugglers 
[very common-place and innocent looking farm- 
ers in the daytime] were dangerous when cor- 
nered on such missions. 

The officers had their salary to earn; the farm- 
er ran for his life — liberty and property. Under 
such circumstances no one can doubt which party 
was the winner in those midnight skirmishes 
and pursuits. 

LANDING PLACES FOR WHISKEY. 

Paths from all directions crossing the country 
miles back of the bay converged at Beaver Head 
and on the shores opposite on each side of the 
bay. 

C. W. Smith's summer cottage occupies the 
place on the east shore of the bay where con- 
traband whiskey was landed and transferred to 
some one's shoulders. Traces of the landing 
over on the west side are now faintly seen in a 
<;lump of bushes and trees. Willows cover the 
Beaver Head landing. 

casks CARRIED ON MEN'S SHOULDERS. 

Through some sort of free-masonry the sons 
LfffC. 



points was a part of the honest yeoman's duties; 
and all classes either had a hand or winked at it. 

Destructive Fires. -In 1871, the night of 
April 13th, a fire broke out in the building on 
the present site of Paddock's hardware store 
and swept pretty much the entire north side of 
Main street. Some of the business men were 
buying goods in New York and were wired to 
come home. 

In 1874 a large amount of property was de- 
stroyed by fire. 

On July 20, 1875, eight business blocks, from 
the Wolcott house to the Arcade block, were 
burned. The loss was about $12,000. 

On August 28, 1876, six business places on the 
east side of Mill street were burned. 

On November 11, 1879, that old landmark, 
"the Arcade," was burned. It was owned by 
the Presbyterian church and was leased for 
stores. 

On February 10, 1884, eight business blocks, 
including the Empire Block, were burned dis- 
possessing twenty-three business concerns and 
fourteen families.' The loss was about $150,000. 

On February 19, 1887, the Campbell block was 
burned. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




nth Pi 



tARLT.)N Hl)U>E L H TAGUE. PKOPRI 



The Carlton House situated near the rail- 
road station was purchased by L. H. Tague, the 
present proprietor. March 1, 1905. Mr. Tague 
tooli the house, determined to mal^e it first class 
in every respect. He has spent considerable 
money in improvements inside and out and this 
house is becoming a favorite stopping place for 
commercial men. 

Johnson 8( King as a business firm was or- 
ganized February 1, 1903, succeeding the firm of 
F. S. Johnson & Co., which consisted of F. S. 
Johnson, C. E. Johnson and F. W. King, the two 
latter having previously clerked for Mr. John- 
son. The business consists of dry goods, gro- 
ceries, boots and shoes, carpets and wall paper. 



Wolcott Christening— The earliest name 
given to this village was Melvin's Mills. This 
was in 1809 when Jonathan Melvin erected the 
saw and grist mills. He was led hither by the 
splendid water power afforded by the falls near 
the village and there the settlement was begun. 

Some years later when Obadiah Adams had 
opened hotel and store and was making large 
shipments of meal, he erected large casks or 
puncheons for storage. It is saill that at one 
time he had a thousand of the casks along Main 
street. This gave to the place the name Punch- 
eonville. 

The village was later named after Governor 
Wdlcott of Connecticut. 




'GRIP'S" HISTORI'AI. 



rVENIR OF WOI.'-OTT. 




Benjamin Sc Clapper, manufacturers of ce- 
ment block, start? 1 the business in the spring of 
1905. They have placed several large orders of 
block and are making them in considerable num- 
bers. These cement blocks are taking the place 
of brick, stone and wood in all sorts of building. 
'The older the blocks get the stronger they are. 
Jn moulding the blocks the best machine is used 
— the Hercules; and the face of the block is 
made to represent grey or brown stone or a 
smooth front. This firm is the only manufac- 
turer of these blocks in this section of the state. 
This firm also deals in cement at wholesale and 
retail. 

Bevier Se Armstrong. — This business was 
•established on October 29, 1892, by Fred Bevier 
in the Tyrell Block, but soon outgrew its quar- 
ters and when the Johnson & Northup block was 



built .Mr. Bevier had one of the stores fitted 
especially for his undertaking and furniture bus- 
iness which he conducted successfully until March 
12, 1901, when Clarence J. Armstrong bought a 
half interest in the business of which the firm 
name is now Bevier & Armstrong and ranks 
among Wolcott's best firms, doing a general 
furniture business, upholstering and picture fram- 
ing. Thev are general agents for school seats 
and church furniture. "Their undertaking busi- 
ness always has their special attention, with lady 
assistant, and first class rolling stock makes 
them among the county's best." 

Cleared Land in the Village— John Grandy, 
who came in 1808, was employed by Obadiah 
Adams and he cleared thirty acres now in the 
south part of the village and occupied by village 
streets and homes. 




BEVIER & ARMSTRONG. UNDERT.^KERS ASD FURNITURE DEALERS. 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 




KEESLER POST, NO. 55. G. 



(GROUP NO. 21 



Merrill 
Johnso 



Lower Row (left to right):-J. G. Strait. B.J. Worden, James Boyd. Capt. James H. Hyde. G. B. Curtis. E. W. 
Judson H. Dowd. Samuel Bancroft. Wm. Snyder. Isaac Vanderpool. Upper Row: Irving Mclntyre. Wm. 

C. Green. A .H. Seavey. Fowler. Nathaniel Fields. Cyrus Fitch, Irving Scott. Jas. A. Merrill, Geo, 

Ibert Wamsley. 



Benjamin T. Moore began business in Wolcott 
in 1896, succeeding to the pharmacy and grocery 
which his father, A. W. Moore, had conducted 
as sole proprietor since 1882, and in connection 
with a partner since 1872. Mr. B. T. Moore was 
a clerk for his father some years before buying 
the business. His lines of trade are groceries 
and drugs complete. 

The Fire Department — In April, 1884, the 
village voted to raise by tax $2, .500 for the pur- 
chase of a fire engine and a suitable equipment, 
and in the fall of 1885 the present frame engine 
house and village hall building was erected. 

Henry A. Graves was president of the village 
at the time the organization of the department 
was effected and he was made the first chief of 

the department, hold- 

ing that position sev- 
eral years. 

Prior to that the 
village had a hand fire 
engine with a brigade 
organized to serve it. 
Then a Hook and Lad- 
der company was or- 
ganized which was 
finally spHt up into 
two companies. The 
hand engines— at one 
time there were two 
of them in use in the 
village— were kept 
under the shed of the 
Presbyterian church 
on lower Main street. 
Great difficulty was 
occasioned in getting 
water until the new 
department was 
created when the vil- 
lage constructed res- 
ervoirs. 

When a fire broke 
out men and women 



assisted in carrying water in buckets with which 
to keep the tanks in the hand engines filled. 

There are now three splendidly organized and 
drilled companies, the Hook & Ladder Company 
[see group portrait on page 28], the Hose Com- 
pany [see page .39] and the Steamer Company. 

Melvin Estate; What became of It— Joel 
Fanning making a search of the old cemetery 
title found as follows: — Sir John Lawton John- 
son of Webster Hall, County of Durfrus, England, 
transferred lot 50, Williamson's patent, 848'.2 
acres to Jonathan Melvin, September 3, 1811". 
Then when Melvin became involved Thomas 
Armstrong, sheriff, transferred 600 acres to the 
Utica Bank, December 21, 1830. The Utica 
Bank transferred the property to David Arne 
December 24, 1833. 




•Y AND GROCERY. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



TThe School— Continued from Page 74.] 
THE FACULTY. 

Academic Department: R. B. Gurley, Princi- 
pal: mathematics, civics, American history. 

Agnes Ford, Preceptress: English, Latin and 
German. 

Sue G. Crafts, teacher Training Class, Greek, 
General History. 

Carrie H. Bliss, Drawing and Science. 

Preparatory Academic: Nellie W. Moses, Pre- 
liminary Subjects, Physiology and Physical Ge- 
ography. 

Grammar Department: Carolyn D. Exner, 
Miss Belle Palmer. 

Intermediate Department: Nellie Fosmire, 
Mrs. Mabel Phillips. 

Primary Department: Mabel Lytle, Grace B. 
Timerson. 

Music: L. Pearl Havner. 



Early Highways; Opening of the Roads Be- 
tween Wolcott, the Lake and the East: — 
The first highway laid out in the town of Wol- 
cott was what was called the old Galen road, 
which was cut through from the old salt works 
in Savannah to Sodus Bay. The bay terminus 
was at Capt. Helm's place then called the "float- 
ing bridge, ' ' now Glasgow. The road was opened 
by the Galen Salt Company to get its produc- 
tions to the bay where they could be loaded on 
schooners. 

In 1804 Grover Smith, John Swift and John 
Ellis were named commissioners to lay out a mil- 
itary road four rods wide from SaHna to the 
north-west corner of the old military town of 
Galen, thence on through Palmyra and North- 
field to the mouth of the Genesee river. 

The New Hartford road leading south from 
Wolcott was opened by Noah Starr, Jacob Shook 




Smith Photo 



WOLCOTT HIVE, NO 



Lower Row (left to right):-Matie Kitchen. Mrs. Mai 
Estelle Sabin. Upper Row: Mrs. Lodema Abbott. Rirs 
Mrs. Flora Tague. Mrs. Jennie Olmstead 

Leavenworth Institute; First Anniversary, 
ISee View Old Building Page 31]:-Those who 
participated in the exercises. July 6, 1860, were 
D. Chichester, the orator of the occasion; E. 
Reynolds, salutatorian; M. Darhng, Miss C. 
Chatterson, G. C. Cosad, Miss G. Chipman, Miss 
S. Reynolds, S. Colvin, F. Webb. Miss M. Leav- 
enworth, H. Arne. Miss C. Briggs, Miss W. 
Talcott, B. Van Auken. J. Burr. Miss H. Stark, 
W. Westfall. Miss A. Stark, Miss C. Norton, E. 
Dickson, J. Merrill, Miss A. Van Auken, B. 
Arms, F. S. Johnson, J. Roe, Miss J. Pepper; 
W. H. Valentine, valedictorian. 

Wolcott Lady Honored-The Ladies of the G. 
A. R., Wolcott Circle, were highly honored at 
the Department Convention, State of New York, 
held at Syracuse June 22, when Mrs. J. E. 
Lawrence was elected president of the Depart- 
ment, which she will represent at the National 
Convention which is to be held at Denver, Sept. 
1st, this year. 



and Peres Bardwell, the first highway commis- 
sioners. The survey was completed Nov. 2, 
1810, and was made by Osgood Church. 

The road from Rose Valley to Clyde was sur- 
veyed March 10, 1811. This was maintained 
several years for a plank road which was discon- 
tinued in 1877. 

Two roads between Wolcott and Clyde were 
surveyed May 10, 1810. They were that on the 
east sids of Mill creek south from Rumsay mill 
and theA-oad via of Stuard's Corners. These 
were to clear the way to the county (Seneca) 
seat at Waterloo. 

The road from Sloop Landing to Melvin's Mills 
( Wolcott I was surveyed June 8, 1810. 

A road was surveyed through to Port Bay 
June 29, 1810. 

The Galen road to Cato was surveyed May 23, 
1810, and to Sodus Bay June 28, 1810. These 
were the direct roads from the Bay to Auburn. 



■GRIP S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



Olivit Kros. & Cunningham— The firm of 
Olivit Brothers consists of three members, 
George W. Olivit, who was born in Dutchess 
County, New York in 1841; Ambrose Olivit also 
born in Dutchess County in 1849; and James P. 
Cowper born in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. 

This firm has been in business in N. Y. City 
for forty years, so is one of the oldest original 
Houses now doing business in that city, and is 
well known all over the United States, Canada, 
Bermuda Islands, also the West Indies, and has 
the esteem and confidence of every one with 
whom it does business. 

Olivit Brothers have been buying fruit in 
Wolcott, N. Y. for 25 years, and their business 
in that vicinity has been managed for the past 
eleven years by W. C. Cunningham ; and is at 
present under the name of Olivit Bros. & Cun- 
ningham. 

The store house shown in the view was erected 
in 1901, ard is supplied and equipped with every 



Jcdediah Wilder. —A successful and prominent 
man in Wolcott; Died Aug. 8, 1867, aged 7S 
years. He was father of Mrs. Elisha Leaven- 
worth and Mrs. C. P. Smith, and other children 
not so well identified with the history of Wolcott. 

Dr. James Wilson. -Born May 16, 1807: Died 
Aug. 17, 1881. He was for a long period the 
leading physician in Eastern Wayne and very 
prominent in poUtics. He served as member of 
the Legislature. 

Dr. E. H. Draper.— Born Jan. 7, 1830: Died 
July 15, 1900. He studied medicine with Dr. 
Wilson and was for years associated with him; 
became a leader in his profession, and the ac- 
knowledged leader of the Democratic party in 
his town. He served for many years as Super- 
visor of the town of Wolcott, was very active in 
business, and at his death, having no children, 
he left a large bequest to both the Baptist and 
Presbyterian churches. 




OLIVIT BROS, 

improvement. Near the building is a cooper 
shop where the firm have barrels made for their 
business. 

Olivit Brothers have paid out in the Wolcott 
business as high as .$75,000.00 in one season. 
They handle apples (green fruit) and onions. 

"Captains" of Wolcott in Early Days 
[See Frontispiece.] 

Isaac Leavenworth. — Born June 17, 1781; Died 
Feb. 29, 1860. He was for many years the most 
prominent and influential business man in Wol- 
cott. He was associated with Mr. Hendrick, 
and his son Elisha Leavenworth, in the Blast 
Furnace. Mr. Leavenworth was very liberal in 
his gifts to and in support of the Presbyterian 
church and the Leavenworth Institute. The 
grounds of the present school buildings were 
given by him. His grandchildren, Mrs. Benja- 
min Wilson, Mrs. James Westfall and F. A. 
Leavenworth now reside in Rochester, N. Y. 



CUNNINGHAM'S STORE HOUSE. 



Chauncy P. Smith. -Born 1826; Died 1900. H& 
was for many years up to 1883, the leading and 
most enterprising merchant in Wolcott. He 
built two brick stores — the first erected of brick 
in the village. For something over twenty years 
he was superintendent of the Sunday school and 
an elder of the Presbyterian church. His moving 
to the west in 1883 was a great loss to Wolcott. 
He died in Duluth, Minn. 

Jonathan Melvin.— Very little is known of him 
outside of his operations in Wolcott. An ac- 
count is given on page 4 and a pen-sketch on 
page 63. 

Dr. David Arne. — A sketch of him will be 
found on page 5 under caption "Black House 
Farm," and on page 64 under caption, "Post 
Rider." 

Rev. Thomas Wright.— A distinguished clergy- 
man in the Presbyterian church for 16 years; 
now living at Detroit, 86 years old. He preached 
the last sermon in the old Presbyterian church 
on lower Main street. He was a native of Ver- 
mont. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



W. C. T. U.— In the summer of 1877 "Dr." 
Bacon, the blue-ribbon temperance reformer, 
hired Graves' Hall and began a temperance cru- 
sade. The pastors of the village were in the 
audience and listened to a strong tirade against 
ministers of the gospel and their sympathy with 
the liquor evil. After the meeting closed Rev. 
W. L. Page of the Presbyterian church went 
on to the platform, shook hands with the "Dr." 
and said: "I am not afraid of you or any man 
living." Thereafter Dr. Bacon called Mr. Page 
"Peter Cartwright." In the weeks that fol- 
lowed all the pastors worked in harmony with 
Dr. Bacon who, with all his eccentricities and 
roughness, did a mighty work for righteousness 
the results of which are felt to this day in a 
healthy temperance sentiment in Wolcott vil- 
lage. 

Out of this movement there was organized by 
Rev. W. L. Page and Rev. B. W. Hamilton a 
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, with 
Mrs. O P. Meeks, wife of the Baptist pastor, 
as president. She left town within a year and 
Mrs. F. S. Johnson filled out the term of office 
and was re-elected twice. Mrs. W. H. Thomas 
served as president eight years. Miss Lida V. 
Kellogg four years, Mrs. E. H. Reed six years, 
and Miss Mary A. Talcott has now served seven 
years. 

There are at present about thirty-iive mem- 
bers, with eleven departments of work : Evan 
gelistic. Mother's Meetings, Parlor Meetings, 
Press Work, Literature, Non-alcoholic Medica- 
tion, Anti-Narcotics, Flower Mission, Sunday 
School, Sabbath Observance, Parliamentary 
Usage. They contribute annually $2 to the 
Frances Willard Memorial Fund, spend many 
dollars in literature at home, and in various 
meetings seek to educate public sentiment toward 
the utter extermination of the legalized liquor 
traffic, for temperance in all things helpful and 
abstinence from all things harmful. 

Cayuga Indians at Wolcott.— Prior to 1789 
the lands about Wolcott were the property of 
the Cayuga Indians and these were no doubt the 
Indians of our local traditions. No permanent 
camps seem to have been located hereabouts 
but there were frequent hunting expeditions 
down Wolcott Creek to Port Bay, and there is a 
tradition that each year in the autumn a tribe 
visited Port Bay hunting and herb gathering. 

Evidences of their camps have been found on 
the farms of Edward Waldruff. Samuel Jones 
and Hezekiah Easton on the east side of the Bay 
and from these farms numerous arrow heads, 
fleshers, spear heads and relics have been gath- 
ered. By the treaty of Albany February 25, 
1789, the Cayugas ceded their rights in the lands 
of this section to the State of New York and 
e.xcept for an occasional visit the aboriginal his- 
toi-y of Wolcott came to an end. 

Settlers from New Hartford. — Jesse Mathews 
came to Wolcott in 1810, was elected supervisor 
in 1817 and held the office of justice of the peace 
several years. Others who came with him from 
New Hartford, Ct., were Abijah Moore, William 
P. Newell, Roswell Fox and Roger Olmstead. 
They settled on farms in the south environs of 
Wolcott village Roger Olmstead conducted a 
distillery east of the New Hartford road as it 
was called. 



Earliest Presbyterian Preachers.— Rev. Dan- 
iel S. Butterick was preaching at Geneseo among 
the Indians in 1813 when he was sent to the Sodus 
Circuit. He was afterwards missionary among 
the Cherokees. 

Rev. William Clark came as a missionary to 
the churches at Huron and Wolcott. He died at 
Ira, N. Y. 

Rev. Nathaniel Merrill came from New Hamp- 
shire (Lyndeborough). He died at Georgetown, 
Mass., in 1839. 

Rev. Darwin Chichester died at Hammonds- 
port in 1875. 

Clyde and Sodus Bay Railroad.— The or- 
ganization of this railroad company was effected 
at a meeting of the citizens of Galen, Rose and 
Huron, held at the Clyde Hotel January 22, 
1853, at which the following officers were 
elected: President, Leander S. Ketcham; Vice- 
President, John F. Curtis of Huron ; Treasurer, 
Eron N. Thomas of Rose; Secretary, Joseph A. 
Pain of Clyde; Directors, Wm. H. Lyon and 
Wm. M. Lummis of New York, John F. Curtis, 
James T. Wisner and James Wride of Huron, 
Henry Graham, Chauncey B. Collins and Eron 
N. Thomas of Rose, Isaac Miller, Aaron Gris- 
wold, Leander S. Ketcham, Charles D. Lawton 
and Joseph Watson of Clyde. The length of tie 
route surveyed, from Clyde to Sodus Bay, was 
ten miles, and the estimated cost of construction 
was less than $150,000. It was intended to form 
one of three links in a i-ailroad system to be 
constructed between Ithaca and Toronto. In 
July it was announced that $110,000 in stock was 
guaranteed, but the road was never built. 

State Road, the Earliest Route of Travel 
into Western New York.— On March 24, 1794, 
three commissioners were appointed to lay (-ut a 
road from Utica to Cayuga Ferry on Cayuga 
Lake, thence on to Canandaigua. The road was 
100 feet wide. The Legislature appropriated 
$3,000 for the i-oad through the military tract 
and $7,500 to defray the expense of the con- 
struction of the rest of it. 

CAYUGA BRIDGE. 

Stages began running as far west as Cayuga 
Ferry September 3, 1797. Work on the con- 
struction of a bridge at that point began in May, 
1799, and was completed so that it was first used 
in the fall of 1800. The length of the bridge 
was a mile and an eighth and the width was 
sufficient for three wagons abreast. The cost 
of the structure was $150,000. Stages were 
then run throiagh to Canandaigua. 

Sodus Bay Canal. — In 1827 a charter was 
obtained for the construction of a canal connect- 
ing the Erie canal near Montezuma with Great 
Sodus Bay. Surveys were made but no work 
was done. In 1836 a new charter was obtained 
by John Greig of Canandaigua and in 1841 an- 
other was secured by Gen. W. H. Adams. The 
route named in the last charter was from Sodus 
Bay to the Clyde river a little west of Clyde, to 
be continued from that point to Cayuga lake. 
Gen. Adams with remarkable perseverence fol- 
lowed up this enterprise until the time of his 
death, getting the charter renewed after it had 
once expired. Many people believe that had he 
lived he would have succeeded in his purpose. 



84 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



Representatives in Congress from Wayne 
County — Blackmar, Ebson, (vice Holly, de- 
ceased), 1849 {beginning in March): Butterfield, 
Martin, 1859-'61: Cowles, George W., 1869-'71; 
Camp, John H., 1877-'83: Green, Byram, 1843-'4; 
Holly, John M., 1847-'8, (died at Jacksonville, 
Fla., March 8, 1848); Strong, Theron R., 
1839-'40. 



Great Waterfalls — Krimbs Falls, upper 
Prinzgan river, 1,148 feet high; Verme Foss, 
Scandanavia 984 feet; Vettis Foss, Scandanavia, 
853 feet; Rjuken Foss. Scandanavia, 814 feet; 
Velmo Falls, 591 feet; Tessa Falls, 541 feet; 
Gastein Falls, 469 feet; Skjaggeda Falls, 424 
feet; Victoria Falls, Zambezi river, 391 feet; 
Niagara Falls, 177 feet. 



INDEX TO "GRIPS" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WOLCOTT. 



Allen, CH 64 

Attorneys, 1st 24 

Arne, David— frontispiece 

Adams, Obadiah 4 

Baptist Church 17 

Brown, ET 21 

Brotherhood St Paul 40 

Base Ball, School Team 39 

Bonnicastle 66 

Buttonwood Hotel 21 

Brick Yard 67 

Blacksmith, Earliest 35 

Benjamin & Clapper 79 

Bevier & Armstrong 79 

Black House Farm 5 

Butterfield 69— Jacob 5 

Blast Furnace 69 

Cayuga Bridge 83 

Catchpole Gun Club 45 

Cole, RH 66 

Curtis, OM 56 

County, proposed new 31 — Clei-ks, 
list 27-Judges 21-Sheriffs 22 

Civic Club 27 

Clergyman, 1st 16 

Croquet 63 

Creamery 69 

Campbell, WD 71 

Carlton House 78 

Church, Osgood 70 

Cayuga Indians 83 

Clyde and Sodus Bay RR 83 

Delling, CL 64 

Dutton, Wm 68-Chester 72 

Death, 1st 13&27 

Dwarfs, famous 28 

Drum Corps 55 

Draper, EH-frontispiece 

Empire Block 9 

Episcopal Church 16 

Eastern Star 48 

Electric Light Plant 57 

Erie Canal 18 

Fish, TS 38 

Fish & Waldorf 23 

First Nat Bank .54 

Fire 187(5, 26-1884, 8— Destruc- 
tive, list 77-1871 7 

Fire Dept 80 

Families, Old (See Town History 
'I and Eai-liest Industries 4) — 
First 51 

Grange 36 

Gillard, RevJL 14 

GAR, Group 1, 52-Group 2, 80 

Graves, HA & Charles 65 

Grand Jurors, 1st 31 



Giants, Famous 24 
Gas & Oil Wells 53 
Guild, Epis ch 35 
Horton, GS 19 
Hos^ Co .39 
Highways, Early 81 
Julinson", FS 25 
Johnson & iCing 78 
Justices Cases 69 
Knapp, LW 50 
Knapp, MrsFL 66 
Kellogg, GF 50 
Kellogg, EH 55 
Keyes, SP&CA 5 
Landmarks 7 

Leavenworth, Isaac — Frontis- 
piece—Debaters, 29— Institute 

Old Bg, 31 -Sketch 81 
Logan Circle 53 
Lawrence, JE 58 
Lakes N Y State, Altitude 26 
Land Contracts, List 23 
Lady Maccabees 81 
Military Tract 6 
M E Ch 14-Early Pastors 20 
Meth Prot Church 30 
Missionary, Soc Pres Ch 24 
Maccabees 61 

Masons 62-Pastmasters 63 
Melvin, Jonathan — frontispiece 

-Judgments 50 - Sketch 63- 

Estate 80 
Mills, 1st 15 

Murphey, Mr&MrsJA 75 
Moore, BT 80 
Munson, EY 5 
Northup, GH 32-Warehouse 33 

-Lumber Co 34 
N P L 53 
Nash, Amos 54 
Newberry, EW 74 
Nurss & Candy 5 
Odd Fellows 35 

Old Timers, "Captains, etc" 82 
Olivit Bros. & Cunningham 82 
Pultenay Estate 11 
Presbyterian Church 12 — Earliest 

Preachers 83 
Paddock, WW 46-Store,WH 70 
Postmaster, 1st 29 
Post Rider 64 
Port Bay, View 77— Smugglers 

76- Russell Island 76 
Palace Hotel 75 
Puncheonville 4 
Plank, Elisha 5 
Rebekahs 35 

BKITIU.ICA.N PRINT. I.VONS. N. Y. 



Roe & Ellis Bank 68 

Robertson, DrJN 60 

Reminiscences — Olmstead 30 — 
Nash 33-Matlhews .39-Boylan 
37-Dutton, Mrs 41-Chase 47 
— Simpson 41 — Foote 47— Dut- 
ton, Chester 61 

Railroads 55 

Russell, Eugene 76 

Street Views 2-4, 10, 11, 38 

Shaw, RevCT 12 

S S Class, Mrs Northup 13 

Sabin, AB 49 

Smith, CW 60 

Sodus Bay Resorts 66— Histori- 
cal 67-Canal 83 

School, Public 72, 73-Earliest 15 
-Acre 51-Teachers 71— Fac- 
ulty 81 — Graduating Class, 
1905 73 

Summits N Y State, height 28 

Seaman's Death 24 

Settlers from New Marlboro' 67 
-from New Hartford 83 

Slave Labor 54 

Sopher & Wolven 71 

Strait, JG 70 

Smith, CP— frontispiece 

Sloop Landing 4 

State Road 83 

Towns, Erection 6 — Meeting 
1st 28 

Thacker Bros & Co 42 

Twitchell-Champlin Co 59 

Tavern, 1st 10 

Wolcott, Description 2— Town 
History 9- Smart Village 37 
-Falls 15-Courier64-Super- 
visors, list 27-in 1877. 8 -in 
1865, 6-in 1855, 5-Lady Hon- 
ored 81 — Earliest Land Own- 
ers 27 - Presidents, list 20 
1st Village Officers 20- Village 
Trustees 55— Christening 78— 
Cleared Land 79 

Wayne Co-Erection 11-Geneal- 
ogy 26- State Engineer 18 

Williamson Estate 15 

Waldorf JR 22 

J Weller Co 58 

Water Sheds NY State, h't 45 

Wars, American 37 

Wells & Co., A 74 

Wilder, Jedediah— frontispiece 

Wilson, J M— frontispiece 

Wright, Rev Thos— frontispiece 

W C T U 83 



S '07 



